TI Automotive Acquires Pierburg Electric Fuel Pump Division

TI Automotive has acquired the electric fuel-pump division of Kolbenschmidt Pierburg AG in Neuss, Germany.
Bill Laule, TI Automotive’s chief executive officer, said the move is designed to enhance the company’s global fuel-pump design and manufacturing capabilities. Kolbenschmidt Pierburg is a subsidiary of Rheinmetall AG based in Duesseldorf, Germany.
“Pierburg’s electric fuel-pump operations complement TI Automotive’s existing diesel and gasoline fuel-pump product lines in Europe and North America,” Laule noted. Pierburg currently supplies electric fuel pumps to a number of leading European automobile manufacturers, including DaimlerChrysler, BMW and Volkswagen. Aftermarket distribution in North America has been through Hella Inc. for several years. The division has annual sales of approximately $48 million U.S. and employs about 100 people at production facilities in Neuss.
Headquartered in North America, TI Automotive has production, product development and engineering facilities throughout Europe, including a major research and product development center in Rastatt, Germany. Laule noted that the acquisition will help TI Automotive meet a growing demand for high pressure fuel-delivery systems, including diesel applications, especially in the high-end of the European market. It also further strengthens the company’s position as a leading fuel-system supplier. Financial terms of the acquisition were not released.
“Pierburg’s products complement our own pumps and give us a market-leading line of fuel-pump designs,” added Richard Kolpasky, president of TI Automotive’s North American operations. “Pierburg pumps are ideally suited for use with our new generation of plastic-fuel-tank systems developed to dramatically reduce evaporative emissions and help automobile manufacturers meet strict new global emissions standards.”
In combination with a completely new line of fuel pumps now under development at TI Automotive, the Pierburg acquisition will enhance the company’s ability to design, develop and manufacture complete, modular fuel- storage and fuel-delivery systems that are favoured by automotive OEMs, according to Kolpasky. He said that TI Automotive will continue to use the highly regarded Pierburg brand name on the product lines it has acquired.