STUTTGART/LUDWIGSBURG, Germany — The Bosch Group and MANN+HUMMEL today announced plans to acquire the Purolator filter business from ArvinMeritor around April 1. The business will be continued as a 50:50 joint venture. The acquisition is subject to approval by the relevant authorities.
The acquisition covers all Purolator oil, air, fuel and cabin filters. The company, which has around 1,000 employees, produces filters for both the OE and aftermarket segments, and maintains a small distribution center at its site in Salt Lake City, UT. In 2005, Purolator recorded sales of $267 million dollars.
The market for automotive filters globally is expected to grow around 2 percent per annum until 2015.
“Expanding our filter business is an integral part of our growth strategy in the Automotive Aftermarket Division,” said Peter Tyroller, a member of the Bosch Board of Management. “In acquiring the Purolator filter business, we are significantly improving our market position in the NAFTA region.”
“With Purolator, we are closing our strategic gap, as far as filtration facilities in North America are concerned. We have been extending our activities specifically in this region since 1997,” said Dr. Dieter Seipler, CEO of MANN+HUMMEL. “For MANN+HUMMEL, Purolator perfectly complements our business in North America in the OE sector and in the independent aftermarket.”
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