5 stake in its Brazilian subsidiary Plascar

After having made a fortune in the steel, textile and mining, the American financier Wilbur Ross was now aims to become one of the first actors of automotive equipment in the world. The man, who invests the year last in this sector by taking as habit of deposit balance sheet or in a difficult password groups should here shortly to achieve annual sales of about 5 billion (3.9 billion). Equivalent to half of the turnover of players such as Faurecia and Valeo, but still five to six times less than that of a group like Delphi.

Its holding company International Automotive Components Group (COMETARY) however has much wider ambitions. "It is not unrealistic to envisage that a group umbrella companies control 10 of the market", says the former Rothschild by refusing to set a date for that goal.

By Wilbur Ross is simple: "today, this industry is very fragmented.". The total market is $ 550 billion about 430 billion euros, Editor's note, but no company has more than 5 of the market. Bosch and Delphi are close, but the second is in bankruptcy. "Above all, more than half of the first 50 players lose money and, overall, rare are those which exceed 5."

Target specific niches

This finding would have something to scare many. Step Wilbur Ross, who believes that a group choosing well its niche and having a strong balance sheet to invest in R & D can take advantage of the game this. "The global auto industry globalising." Today, you can have 10 different models in 10 countries with over 2,000 pieces. In total, it is up to 200,000 pieces to manage. "This is no longer tenable", he explains. Convinced that the automotive platforms will continue to be streamlined, the businessman said that "only manufacturers capable of becoming global and deliver everywhere with commitments in terms of price and quality can survive." In the segments which we are concerned, we want to be the actor.

An attempt to differentiate, COMETARY intends to focus its investment on specific niches. The group is the domestic interior plastic parts. There are also investing in the safety-related components. Beyond components for airbags, the group is interested and innovative technologies such as the use of GPS to avoid collisions.

Interest in Delphi

Since 2005, Wilbur Ross took control of the French group Oxford Automotive, which then was absorbed by British Wagon Automotive. Us billionaire now holds approximately 20 of the new set. He also resumed the European activities of the American Collins & Aikman and a 56.5 stake in its Brazilian subsidiary Plascar. The Group has also concluded a framework agreement with Lear and is in a good position to regain the US activities of Collins & Aikman "probably in the second quarter".

Wilbur Ross, which has a capacity of investment of billions of dollars, could be candidate for the recovery of certain assets of Delphi, now in bankruptcy. "I know its CEO, Steve Miller, since a very long time and I respect." Today, the last thing he needs it is another disruptive element. For now, as it negotiates with General Motors and the UAW Union. "After it will be seen, we have never hidden that certain assets of the OEM might interest us but the subject is not the order of the day," explained Wilbur Ross.