Auto suppliers, Sacred, BRC link up in sales, technology
St Lubin, France - Two mid-sized automotive rubber component makers have formed a global strategic alliance. BRC Rubber & Plastics, Inc., a US company and Sacred SA, a French company have announced "a worldwide alliance to promote global cooperation in order to better serve their respective customers".
The two companies have a combined employment of 1000 and sales of $100 million (€70 million). Both are prinarily active in the automotive sector, and both have manufacturing and technical sites around the world.
Sacred has production facilities in France, Morocco, China and Mexico, while BRC, headquartered in Churubusco, Indiana, has facilities throughout the US Mid-West. Sacred has a partnership operation in Buenos Aires, Argentina, called Fegomat SA.
Sacred makes hoses, acoustic damping, antivibration systems, flexible boots and seals for chassis and passenger compartment. The company develops and mixes its own compounds and specialises in injection moulded rubber and thermoplastic elastomer components. It supplies Renault, Peugeot, Nissan, Volkswagen, Ford and other car makers, as well as tier-one suppliers including Delphi, Valeo, Lear and Faurecia.
At its headquarters in Saint-Lubin, the company has design facilities as well as mixing facilities, with small (50l and 100l ) mixers and banks of injection presses up to 400 tonnes. The HQ employs about 330.
At Vieux Thann in France, Sacred employs 80 and has injection presses up to 630 tonnes as well as blow moulding equipment. The Wuhan unit in China currently employs 25 and uses open mills as well as injection presses up to 400 tonnes. In Casablanca, Morocco, the company employs 15 with more open mills and injection presses as well as three compression presses.
BRC makes moulded gaskets and seals, suspension and NVH components as well as plastic hoses and air management components. The company has its headquarters in Churubusco where it carries out injection moulding in both rubber and plastics. it also has manufacturing facilities in Hartford City, Blufton, Ligonier and Moontpelier, all in INdiana, where it does moulding using injection presses, compression presses and transfer presses.
BRC also has sites in Pontiac Michigan and Quincy Ilinois.
The two companies issued a joint statement saying, "this cooperation includes the review and implementation of best practices in technical and manufacturing areas, and to assist one
another in the respective geographical regions."
The statement continued, "This global alliance enables the customer base to benefit from a complete offering that optimises the technical expertise and geographical localization in seven countries and four continents."
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Website of BRC
Website of Sacred
Website of Fegomat (Sacred joint venture in Argentina)
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