In a move towards further integration after its takeover of TRW Automotive last year, ZF is combining the two companies’ aftermarket organisations – ZF Services and TRW Aftermarket.
The move, which will take effect on January 1st, will create the world’s second largest service organisation in the automotive supplier segment. ZF Services currently operates 77 aftermarket locations, including 75 logistics centres; TRW Aftermarket operates 41 locations, including 15 logistics centres and 22 technical centres.
A spokesperson for ZF told Automotive Logistics: “Both organisations have an outstanding reputation in the market. So our customers expect the same level of quality that they have come to know from both organisations previously, as well as new and combined advantages such as additional range, larger distribution power or larger global reach.
“The priority is growth,” added the spokesperson. “Therefore, we are already planning new investments, such as a joint logistics centre in Brazil, for the aftermarket organisation. Our worldwide logistics hubs support us by delivering the right product to the required place at the time the customer needs it.”
ZF completed its acquisition of TRW Automotive in May last year and went on to integrate the company into its organisational structure as the active and passive safety technology division. The aftermarket business sits within this division.
ZF chief executive officer Dr Stefan Sommer said: “Having already fully integrated sales and purchasing in the original equipment business, our aftermarket business partners will now benefit from this successful integration. With its aftermarket activities, ZF ensures that its products perform powerfully and reliably throughout their entire life cycle and a professional diagnosis and repair with original equipment spare parts is provided in the workshops. It is important to us to speak with one voice in this segment and to ensure that our products and services are available in markets worldwide.”
The TRW name will be retained as a brand in the portfolio alongside Sachs, Lemförder, Boge and Openmatics.
The combined aftermarket division will include around 8,000 employees worldwide and generate some €3 billion in revenue.
Helmut Ernst, who currently manages the ZF Services business unit, will head up the new organisation and lead the ‘one ZF aftermarket’ integration process with Neil Fryer, the head of TRW Aftermarket.
“The future of autonomous driving is not just being driven by R&D. Our aftermarket organisation is also an important driving force which will ensure that workshops can understand and service these new vehicles, and in turn our groundbreaking products,” said Ernst.
“Our colleagues from TRW Aftermarket have been leading this development with a high level of professionalism and speed. They are showing the same commitment in identifying the best of both across our business operations and structures and are implementing this concept as the benchmark for the new organisation,” he added.
