“This acquisition is ideal for both companies as Quinton Hazell products are largely complementary to the existing Klarius range – with very little crossover,” said Klarius Chairman, Tony Wilson. “We have the opportunity to grow the business in two ways: by developing new channels for our wider product range globally; and by exploiting our existing channels to the full, by providing customers with a wider range of quality products from a single source.”

Klarius said it believes it is better placed to be flexible in terms of product and business development; focussing on strategic investment in increasing efficiency and optimising production rather than being driven by short-term shareholder returns. It added that the new business has the potential for significant growth and a management team with a strong track record on delivering both profitability and sales growth.

By adding the extensive Quinton Hazell product range to its portfolio, Klarius now offers over 100,000 parts, covering the majority of the European Car Parc, supplying over 40,000 parts every day, to over 5000 delivery points in more than 136 countries.

    * Engine electrics, cooling system parts, pumps, filters and drive belts.

    * The complete emission control system: catalytic converters, diesel particulate filters, exhausts, silencers and lambda sensors.

    * Key drive-train components including: clutches, bearings, suspension and braking systems, as well as a huge range of accessories.

“We plan to optimise Quinton Hazell’s production and logistics facilities with the same lean manufacturing techniques that have proved so successful at Klarius,” said Andrew Jones, Klarius Group MD. “These techniques have been pivotal in establishing Klarius as the most competitive and fastest growing supplier in the automotive aftermarket. By fully integrating them fully, we have achieved a 98.7% delivery rate across our EU factories and are now introducing an unprecedented 100 new product references every month, compared to 15-20 when we took over the business. We are confident that by introducing the same procedures to Quinton Hazell, we can make a good company into a great one.”

Klarius acquired the Emissions Control activities of ArvinMeritor Light Vehicle Aftermarket Europe in 2007.

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