HELLA Sees Growth For Automotive Electronics And Lighting

DETROIT, May 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- HELLA, a leading global supplier of automotive electronics and lighting products, is expanding its operations in Brazil, Mexico and the United States.

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Dr. Martin Fischer, CEO of HELLA's Electronics Division in the Americas, told auto editors attending the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) World Congress here today that HELLA will begin production of electronic components in Brazil early next year in partnership with Sao Paulo-based Emicol, one of Brazil's leading suppliers of electronic and electro-mechanical parts.

Fischer reported that HELLA Electronics recently completed a 50,000-square-foot addition to its San Jose Iturbide plant north of Mexico City and is adding new production lines to its high-tech manufacturing facilities in Flora, Ill., as well. The San Jose Iturbide plant this month received Ford Motor Company's coveted Q1 award for outstanding quality and customer service.

HELLA Lighting also is in the midst of a major expansion program in the Americas. Roger Ventosa, HELLA Lighting's director of program management and marketing for Mexico and South America, said the company will break ground next month on a 215,000-square-foot facility in Irapuato, Mexico, to produce automotive headlamps and rear-lighting systems. Located in the state of Guanajuato, the plant is scheduled to open in mid-2013.

This month the company also is opening a new 9,000-square-foot design and development center in Guadalajara, Mexico, and adding to its product development teams in both Guadalajara and Plymouth, Michigan.

Production will begin at a 15,000-square-foot addition to HELLA Lighting's Guadalajara manufacturing complex this summer as well. The new lighting facilities in Irapuato and Guadalajara will increase HELLA's annual production capacity in the Americas for headlamps by 1.2-million units, from 3.7-million up to 4.9-million. Production capacity for rear-combination lamps will climb by 1.5-million, from 2.4-million up to 4-million.

HELLA currently has more than 2,500 employees in the Americas, a number that is expected to grow by 30 percent or more by the end of 2014.

"We see tremendous potential for growth in the Americas for both electronics and lighting during the next three to four years," Fischer said.

He noted that the auto industry is focusing more and more attention on fuel-economy and improved driver-assistance features, areas of particular strength for HELLA. 

The company's LED lighting technology for both exterior and interior applications also is attracting considerable customer interest. Exterior LED lighting from HELLA already is featured on a number of vehicles and the company also is the industry's leading supplier of premium-car ambient interior-lighting systems.

About HELLA:  HELLA KGaA Hueck & Co. develops and manufactures lighting and electronics components and systems for the automotive industry. Its joint venture companies also produce complete vehicle modules, air-conditioning systems and vehicle electric systems. In addition, HELLA has one of the largest automotive aftermarket organizations in the world, with its own sales companies and partners in more than 100 countries.

HELLA Group sales were $6.09 billion in fiscal year 2010-2011. HELLA is one of the top 50 automotive parts suppliers in the world and one of the 100 largest industrial companies in Germany. Nearly 25,000 people work at 70 locations in more than 30 countries, including more than 3,800 research-and-development engineers and technicians. Additional information is available at www.HELLA.com.

SOURCE HELLA