C&A on lookout for buys: automotive trim giant may expand--but only in core business. (US newslines).(Heartland Industrial Partners L.P., Metaldyne Corp., Collins and Aikman Corp., acquisitions sought, company planning)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)

Urethanes Technology, February, 2002 by Miel, Rhoda

DEARBORN, MICHIGAN--Investment group Heartland Industrial Partners spent the past year and hundreds of millions of dollars creating and re-creating companies for the auto industry, including the greatly expanded Collins & Aikman Corp (see box). And it has not finished yet.

Heartland founder David Stockman noted 15 Jan at the Automotive News World Congress in Dearborn, that successful suppliers must have a strong, unique strategy to survive, but they also need size. An optimal operation must have $5000 million to $10 000 million in annual sales in order to really achieve the economies of scale needed in the industry, he said.

Collins & Aikman, the Troy, Michigan-based company controlled by Heartland, bought Textron Inc.'s automotive trim division late...

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