ZF Services and TRW Aftermarket will be fully integrated to create the world’s second-largest service organization in the automotive supplier segment, effective Jan. 1, 2017.
“Having already fully integrated sales and purchasing in the original equipment business, our aftermarket business partners will now benefit from this successful integration,” says ZF Chief Executive Officer Dr. Stefan Sommer.
“With its aftermarket activities, ZF ensures that its products perform powerful and reliable throughout their entire life cycle and a professional diagnosis and repair with original equipment spare parts is provided in the workshops. It is important to us to speak with one voice in this segment and to ensure that our products and services are available in all markets worldwide.”
ZF acquired TRW Automotive on May 15, 2015, and integrated the company into the organizational structure as the Active & Passive Safety Technology Division.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2017, there will be one single aftermarket business at ZF, the company says.
The TRW name will be retained as a product brand and enhance the existing brand portfolio alongside Sachs, Lemförder, Boge and Openmatics. The new organization creates the second largest aftermarket organization in the automotive supplier segment with approximately 8,000 employees worldwide.
Helmut Ernst, who currently manages the ZF Services Business Unit, will head up the new organization. He is also leading the “One ZF Aftermarket” integration process together with the head of TRW Aftermarket, Neil Fryer.
“The future of autonomous driving is not just being driven by R&D. Our aftermarket organization is also an important driving force which will ensure that workshops can understand and service these new vehicles, and in turn our groundbreaking products,” says ZF CEO Sommer.
“Our colleagues from TRW Aftermarket and ZF Services have been leading this development with a high level of professionalism and speed,” Ernst says.
“They are showing the same commitment in identifying the ‘best of both’ across our business operations and structures and are implementing this concept as the benchmark for the new organization.”
