LAS VEGAS (Nov. 8, 2013) — Components manufacturer Mahle Clevite Inc. outlined future plans for its RTI tool and equipment division — including plans to rename it in the first quarter of 2014—during a news conferences earlier this week at the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) in Las Vegas.
Mahle purchased the division, formerly RTI Technologies Inc., earlier this year from Robert Bosch G.m.b.H. Currently, the division specializes in the development and distribution of automotive maintenance equipment, including air conditioning service, fluid exchange and nitrogen tire inflation systems. But the company plans to enhance its product offerings in the near future.
"We are in the process of putting together an exciting strategic plan for the division," said Max Dull, who recently was named manager of the division in North America. "Not only will we introduce new products and product enhancements to our current product lines, we have already begun work on new products that we plan to introduce in late 2014."
The division also is strengthened by Mahle's test systems and the integration of Behr Group into Mahle, ranking the company among the leading OEMs globally in vehicle air condition and engine cooling, it said.
Mr. Dull noted that the acquisition of RTI has allowed Mahle to position itself as a premium solution for the equipment industry. "With the quality built into our machines, there is less of a chance for vehicle comebacks because the job was done right the first time."
Bosch, which originally purchased RTI in 2010, sold it to Mahle this year under the terms of a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to "remedy the anticompetitive effects" resulting from Bosch's acquisition of SPX Service Solutions L.L.C. in early 2012.
The FTC charged that Bosch's acquisition of SPX Service Solutions, as originally proposed, would have given it a virtual monopoly in the market for air conditioning recycling, recovery and recharge devices.