Ferde Sanders is the aftermarket manager for Brembo North America based in Plymouth, Mich. He joined Brembo in 2007 as part of the Hayes Lemmerz brake division acquisition. Prior to his current position, Sanders worked in OEM sales and product engineering. He has been in the automotive industry for 20 years and the brake industry for the past 13 years. Sanders holds a bachelor of science degree in engineering from Lawrence Technological University and an MBA from Michigan State University. 
In today’s Executive Interview, Sanders talks about Brembo North America’s new Michigan facilities and its commitment to the North American market.
Brembo North America celebrated the grand opening of its new corporate headquarters and technical center in Plymouth, Mich., in June. Tell us about the new facility and what factors led to the need to expand the company’s commitment to the North American market.
The new corporate headquarters and technical center in Plymouth, Mich., is a result of a strategic decision by the company to invest in the North American market in order to grow our Original Equipment, aftermarket and performance businesses, as well as the consolidation of all of our business offices here in North America in one facility. This is our first and only R&D center outside of Italy, further emphasizing the importance of the North American customer.
We understand that the facility will provide full design and development capabilities, as well as sales and distribution support. Can you tell us more about your manufacturing partnerships in North America such as the company’s preferred supplier status with Ford?
One of Brembo’s significant strengths has been its strong OE relationships that are the result of Brembo’s commitment to quality and the production of high-performance products. While Brembo has long been known and respected for its European connections (i.e. Ferrari and Porsche), Brembo’s OE presence in North America can best be illustrated by its showing at this year’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Brands such as Cadillac, Chevrolet Camaro and Corvette, Chrysler, Dodge and Ford all featured Brembo brake systems.
Brembo is known globally for state-of-the-art rotor and caliper engineering. Now the company plans to expand production at the Homer, Mich., location to include corner modules and caliper assemblies. How will this product expansion benefit Brembo customers?
By being “on site” with our research and development, our engineers and technicians can test and provide optimal braking solutions for our numerous OE manufacturers in North America. In addition, by localizing production here in the United States we can save our customers logistic costs.
Will this new facility lead to new job creation in the region?
Yes. Moreover, we have a completely new team dedicated to growing the North American aftermarket. In fact, the aftermarket is one of the key areas that Brembo is investing in for the future.
How are your aftermarket products distributed in North America?
We have increased our coverage of the North American market working with importers and large distributors. All aftermarket products are ordered and shipped directly from our OEM and aftermarket production sites worldwide to companies such as IMC, WORLDPAC and Altrom. These distributors then work directly with the many wholesale and retail distributors throughout North America.
In North America alone, we are producing more than 10 million brake discs annually for the OEMs and the aftermarket.
Are there plans for future expansions (products, locations) in North America?
We have a complete range of premium import applications as well as a growing number of premium domestic ones. In addition, we are looking at increasing the number of painted discs in our range, as well as extending our product offerings to include brake pads, shoes and hydraulics.
We continue to improve our customer service and are now AAIA ACES- and PIES-compliant as well as EDI-capable.
