Kiekert moving "i-move" to Asia, sales in China set to grow
Shanghai, November 20 (Gasgoo.com) Kiekert AG, the world’s biggest independent automotive latch supplier, said on Wednesday that one of its latest innovations -- i-move will be used on some car model that is to launch in the Asian market.
"We are running one project with one international car manufacturer for implementing the ‘i-move’ to the real door especially for the Asian market," Dr. Karl Krause, Chairman & CEO of Kiekert AG, said in an interview on November 18, when its first Asia supplier conference was held. But he didn’t disclose the name of the car manufacturer.
Kiekert displayed its i-close, i-move, i-access, i-fold, and i-comfort latch technologies at the 2009 Shanghais Auto Show in April.
Different from many other global auto parts suppliers who have more diversified product portfolio, Kiekert is mainly focused on latches, opening and closing doors in cars. "We are diversifying in a whole range of latch products, with an increasing global market share," Dr. Karl Krause told Gasgoo.com.
"We have a global market share of nearly 20%, and our non-Japanese competitors (such as Magna) are below 10%, while the Japanese competitor Aisin Seiki, affiliated to Toyota Motor, is not free enough in the market. So Kiekert is the world’s biggest independent latch supplier," he added. "Our market share in Europe and North America is more than 35% and about 25% respectively."
Kiekert’s market share in the Asia-Pacific market is “not that much”. In April 2008, the latch maker set up its first wholly owned subsidiary in Changshu city, Jiangsu province of east China, which is also its Asia-Pacific headquarters.
"This operation in Changshu would have significant sales growth in 2010 – it would reach around 50 million euros or approximately US$80 million," Dr. Karl Krause said.
He also told Gasgoo.com that the crisis is not gone on a global basis, and his company is expecting a global recovery of the automotive market by 2013 or 2014.
"We will continue to control our costs, and to be conservative in our planning. We prepare ourselves for a long lasting global recovery," he added.
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