IT’S WHAT’S INSIDE
THAT MATTERS Barbara Rossi finds out more about International Automotive Components (IAC), the third-largest automotive components and systems supplier in the world and the only global supplier with an exclusive focus on interiors. Headquartered in Luxembourg, the group employs more than 22,000 people worldwide.
IAC
operates 75 manufacturing facilities in 16 countries, has 90 locations in 17 countries and 15 design and technical centres. It serves all the major multinational automotive OEMs and lists General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Fiat, Volvo, Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche as its largest customers. IAC, whose products are used on more than 300 platforms, has manufacturing operations organised into three geographical areas – Europe, Asia and North America. IAC believes that this operating structure makes it more responsive to customers’ needs and the changes that take place within the global automotive components industry, as well as within specific regions. In fact, the regional management teams,
44 Industry Europe
as well as maintaining key customers and supplier contacts in their respective markets, centrally manage aspects of IAC’s operations, while allowing the operating segments to have enough flexibility to promote an entrepreneurial environment. The IAC group was formed in early 2006 by the US financier Wilbur L. Ross, prior to the acquisition of certain European manufacturing facilities of Collins & Aikman Corporation (C&A), an acquisition which was then completed in March 2006. In October 2006, IAC’s European operations acquired all of the assets of the European Interior Systems Division of Lear Corporation. In Europe, IAC has on 6000 employees, five design and technical centres and 29 main facilities in Belgium, the Czech Repub-
lic, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and the UK. Regional headquarters are in Krefeld (Germany) and engineering facilities and customer centres are located in Germany, Sweden and the UK.
Global expansion IAC expanded its operations in Asia in 2006, when Wilbur L. Ross acquired Mitsubishi Belting Kaschihin (MBK), now called IAC Japan Co. Ltd. This acquisition is of particular significance, as it was the first of a major Japanese automotive interiors company by a western auto supplier. The remainder of IAC Asia operations includes manufacturing and engineering locations in China, India and Japan. In China, IAC has three joint
