Affinia Group Sells Quinton Hazell Business

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Feb. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its continuing strategic plan implementation, Affinia Group Inc., an innovative global leader in industrial grade products and services, has sold its Commercial Distribution Europe business unit, known as Quinton Hazell, to Klarius Group Limited and Auto Holding Paris S.A.S. The divestiture enables Affinia to focus on its core businesses and global growth strategy.

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Quinton Hazell is a diverse aftermarket manufacturer and distributor of automotive components throughout Europe. The company has approximately 750 people and is headquartered in Hinckley, Warwickshire, which is also its main UK warehousing and distribution operation. It also has other locations in the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland, Italy and Spain.

"The central element of our strategic repositioning over the past four years has been to develop a global manufacturing footprint to assure our customers of high quality, properly designed aftermarket components at market competitive prices," said Terry McCormack, President and Chief Executive Officer of Affinia. "While Quinton Hazell is an outstanding organization and has been a mainstay of the European market for many years, we believe our customers will be best served if we redeploy these assets in support of our global core product initiatives."

Since its founding in 2004, Affinia has pursued a strategic global repositioning program that has resulted in expanded manufacturing and sourcing capabilities in China, India, Brazil, Mexico and Eastern Europe. This program has also strengthened Affinia's access to emerging growth markets, including China, India, Brazil and Eastern Europe.  At the same time, the company has closed a number of facilities throughout North America and in parts of Europe, resulting in an enhanced ability to provide high quality, globally competitive products.

About Affinia

Affinia Group Inc. is an innovative global leader in the design, manufacture, distribution and marketing of industrial grade products and services, including extensive offerings of aftermarket parts for automotive and heavy-duty vehicles. With more than $1.8 billion in annual revenue, Affinia has operations in North and South America, Europe, Asia and India. For more information, visit www.affiniagroup.com.

SOURCE Affinia Group Inc.