From the Sector

The acquisition of the automotive business of Borgers, announced in January 2023, has been completed with effect from April 1, 2023, following receipt of all antitrust approvals. As a result, Autoneum now operates 67 production facilities worldwide and employs around 16 100 people in 24 countries. With the acquisition of the long-established German company, Autoneum is further expanding its global market leadership in sustainable acoustic and thermal management of vehicles. For the planned capital increase of around CHF 100 million for the long-term financing of the acquisition, the shareholders approved the creation of a capital band.

The purchase agreement signed on January 6, 2023, to acquire the assets of the insolvent Borgers companies by Autoneum could be completed. As a result, Autoneum will take over the assets of the Borgers companies in Germany and the shares in the subsidiaries in France, Poland, Sweden, Spain, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom and the USA as well as in the company in Shanghai, China, with effect from April 1, 2023. As already communicated, the enterprise value paid amounts to EUR 117 million.

The product and customer range of Borgers Automotive, the specialist for textile acoustics protection, insulation and trim for vehicles, ideally complements Autoneum’s sustainable product portfolio. Particularly with the wheel arch liner and trunk lining product lines as well as the truck business, Autoneum’s global presence offers further potential for profitable growth also outside Europe. In addition, Borgers has more than 150 years of experience in recycling textile materials. In the 2022 financial year, the Borgers Group – excluding the mechanical engineering division which was already sold in the summer of 2022 – generated expected annual revenue of around EUR 700 million and employed around 4 500 employees worldwide. Autoneum has agreed new pricing and delivery terms with Borgers’ customers, which will ensure both sustainable profitability and the further development of technologies and processes.

From April 1, the former Borgers sites in Germany will be part of Autoneum Germany GmbH, which has been in existence for many years. The other subsidiaries worldwide will gradually be renamed Autoneum.

Technologies with an excellent environmental performance throughout the entire product life cycle – that is what “Autoneum Pure.” stands for. In future, components that meet the highest standards in terms of sustainability and eco-friendliness can be identified at a glance under this label. This also includes the innovation “Mono-Liner” for wheelhouse outer liners.

As innovation leader in acoustic and thermal management, Autoneum continuously invests in the development and production of resource-saving components that make cars lighter and thus more climate-friendly. In view of an increasing sustainability awareness and the correspondingly greater information needs on environmentally-friendly vehicle components, the Company has now launched Autoneum Pure. The label determines particularly sustainable technologies, thereby guiding car manufacturers in product selection for future models.

Autoneum Pure is based on a comprehensive set of criteria assessing the sustainability performance of a product in all four phases of its life cycle: material procurement, production, use and end of life. For example, components with a high content of recyclable materials or those that achieve significant weight savings compared to comparable standard components qualify for the “Autoneum Pure.” label. Autoneum already offers various multifunctional technologies that meet the high standards for Autoneum Pure products: Ultra-Silent for underbody systems or battery undercovers, Di-Light for carpet systems, Prime-Light and IFP-R2 for inner dashes and floor insulators as well as Hybrid-Acoustics PET for e-motor encapsulations and engine-mounted parts, which was launched in fall 2019.

With Mono-Liner, the latest innovation for wheelhouse outer liners is also included in the Autoneum Pure portfolio. Among other things, the Mono-Liner-based components convince thanks to their lightweight construction, thereby contributing to lower vehicle weight with correspondingly less fuel consumption and emissions. The excellent life cycle assessment is also based on their particularly resource-saving manufacturing: Production cut offs of the components, which consist to a large extent of recycled PET fibers, can be processed into pellets and completely returned to the manufacturing process as fibers. An SUV and a crossover model from a US vehicle manufacturer already benefit from Mono-Liner wheelhouse outer liners.

Anahid Rickmann, Head of Corporate Communications & Responsibility, explains: “With Autoneum Pure we are the first automotive supplier to establish a sustainability label in the field of acoustic and thermal management. Autoneum Pure is part of the Company's Advance Sustainability  Strategy 2025 and sets industry standards in product communication.”

With the announcement of the eligible vehicle models, the World Car Awards 2020 kickedoff today at the IAA Motor Show in Frankfurt, Germany. This year again, the majority of contenders is equipped with lightweight components for acoustic and thermal management from Autoneum. The world’s leading automobile industry awards will be presented at the New York Motor Show in the spring of 2020.

A total of 46 new vehicle models have passed the initial screening and are now contenders for trophies in the categories “World Car of the Year”, “World Luxury Car”, “World Performance Car”, “World Urban Car” and “World Car Design of the Year”, including five new fully-electric models alone. Whether it’s a lightweight underbody, a noise-absorbing carpet system or a heat-reducing engine encapsulation – most of the eligible vehicles benefit from Autoneum’s innovation leadership in thermal and acoustic management. Autoneum’s expertise extends to new forms of mobility such as electric vehicles: Also thanks to numerous Autoneum components, Jaguar’s fully-electric SUV “I-PACE” impressed the jurors for the World Car Awards 2019, which was the first model ever to be named “World Car of the Year”, “World Car Design of the Year” and “World Green Car” at the same time.

On the occasion of today’s eligibility announcement, Autoneum CEO Martin Hirzel said: “Once again, the contenders are testimony to our innovation leadership. The World Car Awards also confirm our forward-looking approach: Nominated e-models feature Autoneum components as well. Welcoming our industry’s transformation early on, we today supply environmentally sustainable, lightweight components for most electric models available worldwide.”

Gerry Malloy, President of the World Car Awards Association, added: “As a market leader, Autoneum is the ideal partner for us. Our shared commitment to innovation was a decisive factor in forming a partnership back in 2014. Nowadays, this is a crucial aspect for manufacturers and suppliers who wish to remain successful in times of industrial and technological change.”

The World Car Awards, which have been presented annually since 2004, are the world’s leading nd most widely recognized automotive industry awards. A jury comprising of more than 80 international automotive journalists selects winners in five categories. The winners of the 2020 World Car Awards will be announced in April next year at the New York Motor Show.