Adient, the world’s largest global automotive seating supplier, has announced recently that its Recaro Automotive Seating Group has won a significant contract with MAN Truck & Bus AG to increase annual seat production at the company’s facility in Skarbimierz, Poland. Specifics of the supply contract were not disclosed.
Starting in 2020, Recaro Automotive Seating will incrementally begin supplying high quality commercial vehicle seats for the entire range of MAN models TGL, TGM, TGS and TGX. The driver and passenger seat order will be for approximately 100,000 original MAN vehicles annually. The contract will result in a production increase of annual production there to 300,000 seats. The Polish facility will supply the MAN facilities in Munich and Steyr.
“We are exceedingly pleased by the trust that MAN Truck & Bus has put in Recaro Automotive Seating by placing this order. Since the market launch of our new generation of seats in 2008, we have been able to continually grow and expand our portfolio” said Dr. David Herberg, Executive Director, Commercial Vehicle Seating.
Herberg added that this milestone in the OEM business reaffirms Recaro Automotive Seating’s position in the European commercial vehicle market. “We are a sought-after reliable partner for truck manufacturers at the same time we are bringing our ambitious growth strategy to fruition.”
MAN Truck & Bus is bringing the original equipment seat portfolio of Recaro Automotive Seating into the cabins of light, mid-sized and heavy trucks up to a uniform standard. The seats are developed by Recaro Automotive Seating exclusively for MAN, based on its modular commercial vehicle seat platform. The seats are optimally tailored to meet the needs of commercial vehicle drivers.
Within the framework of various equipment packages, MAN customers will be able to choose between luxury and comfort variations from Recaro Automotive Seating that include a complete range of features such as heating and climate control. In addition, Recaro Automotive Seating will supply the passenger seats in different configurations, from a fixed version to a turntable, mounted swivel variant.
Recaro Automotive Seating uses common parts strategy for its seat structures. It employs standard parts from Adient, especially metal adjustment components, which have been used and tested millions of times. In addition, the modern production facilities in the Polish town of Skarbimierz are set up to handle a high volume of product variants. This enables Recaro Automotive Seating to precisely time production and delivery to customer plants on a just-in-time and sequence basis as necessary.
Recaro Automotive Seating is continuing to consistently pursue its long-term strategy of establishing the brand as an innovative, premium manufacturer in the global commercial vehicle market. The strategy includes the continual expansion of the product and service portfolio and the acquisition of new customers in Europe, Asia and the Americas. In this effort, the company is using the extensive networking opportunities offered by Adient, as well as Adient’s high level of vertical integration of seat components.