TecAlliance strengthens automotive electronics and repair solutions: NGK SPARK PLUG and bilstein group on board as shareholders in May 2018

Cologne, 16.05.2018. TecAlliance, a global market leader in automotive data management and integrated management solutions for manufacturers, dealers and workshops, is pleased to welcome two more important shareholders. In May 2018, the ignition and sensor specialist NGK SPARK PLUG and the spare part supplier and manufacturer bilstein group join TecAlliance. This helps the company to strengthen its position for quality and excellence in data management and as a driver of digitalisation in the automotive aftermarket. TecAlliance’s current portfolio also comprises, in addition to current vehicle and spare parts data of OEM quality (TecDoc standard), integrated solutions and consulting services for electronic order processing (including invoicing) in the automotive aftermarket. The TecDoc catalogue is recognised as the largest and leading database for vehicle spare parts data worldwide. TecAlliance is also the principal shareholder in Caruso, the neutral and open data marketplace for telematics data. (www.caruso-dataplace.com)

NGK SPARK PLUG – already the second Asian shareholder for TecAlliance

NGK SPARK PLUG and the bilstein group find themselves in good company at TecAlliance: the current shareholders’ list now includes a total of 35 partners, all of them leading vehicle part manufacturers and traders in the automotive aftermarket. “The investments by two more renowned companies will help us in our challenge to promote the digitalisation of our sector and to continue to set new standards in terms of data quality,” explained Jürgen Buchert, TecAlliance CEO. “This expertise will flow into the further development of our solutions and therefore into the improved competitiveness of our portfolio.”

The new shareholders have held strong positions in the international automotive aftermarket for many years. NGK SPARK PLUG is a leader in the worldwide aftermarket. The product portfolio includes spark plugs, glow plugs, ignition coils and ignition leads as well as sensors such as lambda probes, exhaust gas temperature probes, NOx, manifold/boost pressure sensors and air flow meters. In Europe, the Japanese ignition and sensor specialist considerably strengthened its logistics offering by opening a state-of-the-art distribution centre in Duisburg, Germany. The highly automated centre quickly and reliably delivers spare parts to customers in 44 countries. “The step we’re making by taking a share in TecAlliance will make NGK SPARK PLUG one of the key suppliers for the high-quality data and information services that TecAlliance provides to the spare parts trade and workshops around the world,” said Damien Germès, Senior Vice President EMEA at NGK SPARK PLUG Europe GmbH. “We are optimally positioned to support TecAlliance in delivering digital excellence in the automotive aftermarket.”

With NGK SPARK PLUG joining TMD Friction (Nisshinbo), TecAlliance now has two well-known Japanese component manufacturers as shareholders.

bilstein group – high-quality spare parts, available worldwide

Ferdinand Bilstein GmbH + Co. KG– The name stands for a traditional family-owned company with sites around the world. For the automotive aftermarket alone, the part supplier and manufacturer, with headquarters in Ennepetal, Germany, has a range of over 60,000 different spare parts for cars and commercial vehicles. The aftermarket specialist brands established within the bilstein group – febi, SWAG and Blue Print – are synonymous with high-precision spare parts of original equipment quality. “We know first-hand how important it is to have reliable high-quality data for our day-to-day business, and also for that of independent workshops,” explains Jan Siekermann, Managing Director of the bilstein group. “Therefore, we feel perfectly positioned as a shareholder at TecAlliance. On behalf of our clients, but also in our own interest, our expertise and data will contribute to ensuring that the digital transformation in the spare parts market and the automotive industry will advance.”

About TecAlliance

For over 20 years, TecAlliance has been one of the world’s leading data specialists for networked collaboration in the digital automotive aftermarket. The portfolio includes services in the field of data management (the collection of vehicle fleet data, spare parts data and repair and maintenance information from different manufacturers), the preparation of data for a wide range of market players according to specific target groups in line with the established TecAlliance standard, and the development of innovative solutions for efficient and transparent collaboration in the networked digital aftermarket.

For years TecAlliance has been setting market standards for spare part information and vehicle descriptions. The range is completed by services in the field of process optimisation, the implementation of solutions for existing business processes, and a timely support service. Market players worldwide all benefit from the extensive data basis of the TecAlliance platforms on which all the supply, demand and approval processes can be integrated and efficiently carried out. In this way, TecAlliance improves the digital business processes between business partners in the automotive aftermarket in a sustainable and lasting way.

Today there are over 550 qualified TecAlliance employees from 26 nations working around the world, using their profound technical and industry knowledge of the automotive aftermarket to make data and processes more efficient.

TecAlliance – the international driving force for standardised data, processes and integrated solutions in the automotive aftermarket.