ADDISON, IL — Next month, Kayaba Industry Co., Ltd. (KYB) will acquire a 75 percent shareholding in AP Amortiguadores SA (APA) currently held by ArvinMeritor.
APA manufactures automotive shock absorbers for the European OE market and aftermarket, supplying major car manufacturers such as Ford, Renault, Peugeot, Toyota, Nissan, Audi-VW Group, Mitsubishi, Daimler-Chrysler, Suzuki and General Motors. APA is currently an affiliated company of Kayaba in northern Spain, with Kayaba owning a 25 percent share. The move will make APA a wholly owned subsidiary. In addition, APA has a plant in Brazil, which also supplies both OE and aftermarket.
In the U.S., Kayaba is set to expand its manufacturing base at Franklin, Ind, to support growing sales of KYB shocks and struts to the North American aftermarket.
“To meet the needs of our vehicle manufacturer and aftermarket distribution customers on a global basis, we recognize Europe, North America, Japan and Asia as our four principal regions,” said Kayaba’s Executive Managing Director of International Operations Katsuma Ohara. “By increasing our ownership in APA to 100 percent, and expanding our Franklin, Ind., facility, we will be able to considerably strengthen our production and supply position and be better placed to meet the specific needs of our expanding customer base. This is a truly significant move for Kayaba and the KYB brand of automotive shock absorbers and one that will give us a major advantage in the marketplace.”
For more information, visit the company’s Web site: www.kyb.com.
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