Johnson Controls to acquire Keiper and the automotive seat business of Recaro

Keiper is a leader in recliner system technology and is renowned for its engineering and manufacturing expertise in metal components and mechanisms. Keiper's headquarters and engineering centre are located in Kaiserslautern, Germany. The acquisition will include approximately 4,750 employees globally in seven countries. Johnson Controls vice president Beda Bolzenius said the acquisition strengthened the company's metal components and mechanisms business. "It provides leading technologies that we can leverage across our current seat component portfolio, and expand in China and North America." Keiper's expertise includes the complete engineering process and technologies used to produce metal seat components, structures and mechanisms. The product range encompasses mechanisms which adjust the seat's length and height, recliners that adjust the backrest position of vehicle seats, and rear seat latches. The acquisition also includes the Recaro automotive sport and specialty seat portfolio. Johnson Controls said that it believed that increasing vertical integration and enhancing its seating components technologies was a key to the future growth of its auto seating business. Keiper will be integrated into the Johnson Controls metal and mechanisms product business unit, which is part of the seating components product group within its Automotive Experience business. The Recaro seating products will become part of a new product business unit within the seating components product group.