HENNIGES AUTOMOTIVE HAS A NUMBER OF PLANS IN PLACE TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE AND HELP ITS OEM CUSTOMERS DO THE SAME.
During summer 2009, the management teams of automotive OEMs were not likely found relaxing by the poolside. The industry was in trouble – two OEMs were in bankruptcy and most of their Tier I, Tier II and other suppliers weren’t faring much better. Henniges Automotive, a producer of sealing systems for the global automotive industry, realized complacency was not an option if it wanted to survive. “We didn’t sit and wait it out; we increased our focus on innovation,” CEO Robert DePierre says. “We had workshops with our customers where we discussed their needs and found out what we could do different to better support them.
Innovation was the key. We teamed with our customers to develop products specific to their needs. Others were just focused on surviving, but we were working ahead, and when the market improves, we will be ready with new, innovative products.”
Henniges Automotive is dedicated to providing sealing, glass encapsulation and modular systems to the global automotive industry; the firm’s product line includes inner and outer seals, engine compartment seals, windshield and sunroof glass, backlight modules, liftgate systems and obstacle detection systems. The company is the result of the 2007 merger of Metzeler Automotive Profile Systems North America and GDX Automotive. The Henniges name was derived from GDX’s “well-respected and trusted” brand, which was founded in Germany by Ernst Henniges in 1951, DePierre notes.
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