Lear Corporation, a global automotive technology leader in Seating and E-Systems, has announced the completion of its acquisition of I.G. Bauerhin (IGB), a privately held supplier of automotive seat heating, ventilation, active cooling, steering wheel heating, seat sensors, and electronic control modules.
The €140 million acquisition expands Lear’s Thermal Comfort Systems portfolio, which combines efficient heating, ventilation, and active cooling with exceptional seating craftsmanship.
IGB has more than 4,600 employees at nine manufacturing plants in seven countries, and its products will enhance Lear’s suite of in-vehicle comfort technologies.
According to Lear President and CEO, Ray Scott, the acquisition of IGB is the final piece of Lear’s comprehensive strategy to develop and integrate its Thermal Comfort Systems for automotive seating.
Lear is the most vertically integrated global seat supplier with the unique ability to design and manufacture the most sophisticated, highest quality, and best performing overall seating systems in the world. By reducing complexity, weight, and total costs, Lear can respond faster to customers’ demands.
This is the second acquisition Lear has undertaken during the last two years to enhance its Thermal Comfort Systems portfolio.
In February 2022, Lear acquired substantially all of Kongsberg Automotive’s Interior Comfort Systems business unit, a provider of seat massage, lumbar, seat heating, and ventilation products with more than 3,800 employees in four production facilities and four technical centers on three continents.
Lear’s Executive Vice President and President, Seating, Frank Orsini, says their customers are adopting Thermal Comfort Systems in both internal combustion engine and electric vehicle segments ranging from entry-level to high-end luxury.
They are also seeing thermal comfort content expand into second row applications. Orsini welcomed IGB employees and the expertise they bring to the Lear family.
Lear, headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, serves every major automaker in the world and ranks 186 on the Fortune 500. The company’s diverse team of talented employees in 37 countries is driven by a commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and sustainability. – BusinessNewsAsia.com