J. Eberspaecher Opens New North American Headquarters In Novi, Mich

Autoparts Report, April 20, 2002

Eberspaecher North America, Inc. (ENA), a leader in automotive exhaust engineering and vehicle heater development, said that it opened its new North American headquarters and design & development technical center in Novi, Mich.

This newest division of Eberspaecher Group, the Esslingen, Germany- based automotive supplier of exhaust engineering, vehicle heaters and glazing construction is exclusively devoted to the development of automotive exhaust and emissions systems.

At its new Novi facility, ENA provides engineering design, simulation, prototype and exhaust systems testing services for its North American customers, the company said. "Our customers have made it clear to us that if we want to continue to be a strategic supplier, we have to become truly global," ENA President, Werner Mantay said. "You can't become truly global unless you have a presence in the Detroit area."

The complex, which represents an investment of more than $26 million, includes three buildings on eight acres for administrative offices, a prototype shop and a test lab. It will enable ENA to leverage the highly skilled technical resources located throughout the region and expand its global reach to automotive OEMs, the company said.

Eberspaecher GmbH, which has approximately 4,600 employees in 12 countries, has more than 25 employees at its new North American headquarters, said it plans to increase its local work force to at least 75 with the Novi location.