Jacques Fils (Aisin): "We are rapidly expanding our presence in Europe"

AutoRevista.- Our magazine AutoRevista is focused on OE, but it is interesting to get the aftermarket point of view. How is Aisin tackling the automotive trends bringing them to the aftermarket business? What average does aftermarket business?

Jacques Fils.- Aisin is a leading manufacturer of original equipment automotive parts – the world’s seventh largest OE supplier – and our expertise, experience and reputation for quality are carried over to our aftermarket activities. Established in 1971, the Aisin Europe Aftermarket division is based in Belgium and provides a full range of braking, steering, suspension, cooling, engine, drivetrain, fluids and performance automotive replacement parts to a global customer base.

We have set ambitious growth targets for our aftermarket business in the next two years; from our current 36 aftermarket sites in 17 countries, we are planning major expansion into new territories to increase this to a total of 70 sites in 30 countries. This should enable us to grow our aftermarket customer base from around 700 trading partners to 1,000.
 

Looking beyond 2026, we aim to expand our range of products and services beyond spare parts such as clutches, water pumps and solution for automatic transmissions. The range will be tailored to the differing needs of each world market.

Where other OEMs seek to supply the aftermarket in any country, Aisin regards such competition as a healthy part of the aftermarket aftersales business; it improves the quality of products and services available to customers, as ultimately only the best will survive. As a long-established original equipment supplier to multiple vehicle marques, our reputation for the highest quality is second to none and we continue to gain market share from our competitors as our brand names and the premium quality for which they are recognized achieve greater awareness.

 AR.-  What are the most outstanding Aisin's features in Automechanika and how is the importance of aftermarket business in Europe and, particularly, in Spain?
 

J.F.- On the Aisin booth at Automechanika Frankfurt 2024, we are highlighting our clarified offer of a segmented product range that meets the needs of each type of customer as closely as possible; displaying a complete range of automatic transmissions plus a wide selection oftransmission overhaul kits and spare parts.

AR.- How you can describe Aisin's strategy in Europe with your base in Belgium attending your customers both OE and aftermarket? How are you improving your processes?

J.F.- As an automotive parts manufacturer which develops and produces automotive solutions, Aisin has cultivated vast technological expertise and manufacturing capabilities. Our vision is to leverage these strengths in the development of aftermarket products and services and expand our offer to new users both locally and globally. Through a combination of predictive analysis and conducting market research by visiting
local maintenance workshops and other facilities, Aisin has identified which products are in high aftermarket demand, and based on the requirements in each country, is providing products that suit the markets.

Aisin follows the Japanese concept of monozukuri, through which we strive to achieve perfection through continuous improvement in manufacturing, testing, design and engineering. The ethos of monozukuri transcends global constraints. Wherever in the world Aisin operates – in this case, the European aftermarket – our customers can depend on exactly the same standards of manufacturing excellence and the same
quality control protocols as in Japan, supported by unparalleled customer service. We are rapidly expanding our presence in Europe, and have set a goal of becoming the aftermarket customer’s partner of choice. Activities for this market are centralized at our Mons site in Belgium, which houses both the original equipment production line to cater for our OE customers, and around 95 percent of our European stock to service the aftermarket.

We continually introduce new products that are designed to meet the specific demands of European customers, and our distribution network is evolving as awareness of our brands increases. Our current focus for the European market is clutch, cooling products and automatic transmission. In the future, we will also gradually adapt our business values to focus more on our people and skills rather than simply on the structure, strategies and systems that have enabled us to grow a successful corporation.

AR.- It seems electrification speed is not developing as fast as thought, at least in Europe. In what way is Aisin working for meeting the needs focused on high efficiency ICE solutions and hybrid parallel to electric vehicles systems and modules?
 

J.F.- Aisin is working on the development of various technologies that contribute to the electrification of vehicles, and to increasing their efficiency via a combination of maximum power recovery and reduction of power consumption. Some of these reduction strategies designed for battery electric vehicles (BEVs), such as cooperative regenerative brakes that recover energy during deceleration by capturing the vehicle’s kinetic energy and storing it as electricity, can also be used on hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). Other energy conserving technologies including single motor hybrid transmission and electric water pumps are also applicable to HEVs. Some traditional ICE components such as mechanically driven water pumps have been optimized for compactness, reducing weight and minimizing engine load to improve fuel efficiency.
 

Although the trend toward vehicle electrification suggests a decline in demand for traditional automotive parts installed on a vehicle, Aisin recognizes that it could in fact be an opportunity for significant aftermarket business growth. With the benefits of technological advancement, the lifespan of ICE and hybrid vehicles is increasing and a growing number of people are choosing to prolong ownership, while recognizing that
they must pay attention to proper and regular maintenance with high quality parts to do so.

AR.- How can you describe Aisin's strategy on ESG and specially your remanufacturing activity?

J.F.- Aisin employees are naturally concerned about environmental issues such as climate change and resource depletion, and are keen to establish a society where people canlive in harmony with nature to ensure a sustainable environmental future. To realize a sustainable society, Aisin aims to contribute to the resolution of global environmental issues by applying the Aisin Group’s superior technologies, services and products from its mobility and energy solutions business activities. Some of our main initiatives can be summarized as establishment of a zero carbon society, establishment of a recycling-oriented society and establishment of a society in which people coexist with nature.

Where our people are concerned, our initiatives center around the promotion of diversity and inclusion, developing people and workplaces that pursue challenges, and prioritizing investment for nurturing professional human resources. Regarding our remanufacturing activities, for more than 20 years OEMs have been able to access remanufactured transmissions from Aisin. We are about to make this service available to automatic transmission specialists in the aftermarket. We remanufacture the transmission on an original equipment manufacturing line, which allows us to refurbish it using OE parts while adhering to the OEM’s strict procedures. Repairers can either send their out-of-warranty automatic transmission for immediate exchange with one of our already remanufactured stock units, or wait a little longer to have their own transmission remanufactured. Either way, the remanufactured transmission is warranted for two years.
 

Aisin also currently offers 72 remanufactured automatic transmission valve bodies, with another four to follow – between them, these cater for virtually 100 percent of the aftermarket requirement. Assembled using original equipment parts and tested to the OE specification, these cover all of our OEM applications and all of our automatic transmission types.
 

Our remanufacturing and testing protocols are carried out to a level of precision usually unattainable in the aftermarket. This ensures that there are no assembly errors, and guarantees the same quality as expected from a gearbox produced in Japan. We are the only supplier in Europe that can provide a product of this quality, guaranteeing performance equivalent to or better than the original.
 

The Mons site in Belgium is the first carbon neutral site of the AISIN group. At the heart of the site, remanufacturing and electronics production operations are complemented by logistics activities linked to spare parts distribution. In 2012, to meet these needs, a 15,000 m2 warehouse was built there.

AR.- Chinese OEMs are growing in European market, even with their own manufacturing plants. What opportunity can this trend bring for Aisin?
 

J.F.- Aisin has more than 20 automotive subsidiaries in China, manufacturing and selling parts ranging from engine components to automatic transmissions, brakes, pumps, couplings and vehicle body parts. As an established original equipment supplier to global automakers, Aisin is ideally placed to support these OEMs’ operations in Europe with local parts supply from our factory in Mons, Belgium.

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