Car parts manufacturer Johnson Controls Automotive Experience has acquired the automotive division of its Romanian supplier Spumotim, a manufacturer of polyurethane foam for the automotive industry. Spumotim has 300 employees and the deal includes the company's headquarters and plant in Timisoara, as well as its plant in Pitesti.

"Romania is an important part of the growing Eastern European automotive market. The acquisition of Spumotim is intended to support several of our customers − Dacia, Ford and Fiat − that operate production facilities in the region," said Brian Cooke, vice president and general manager of the global foam business unit at Johnson Controls Automotive Experience. In addition to foam products, the company produces metal seat components and mechanisms, fabrics and seat covers, as well as complete seats. Johnson Controls runs factories in Pitesti, Mioveni and Ploiesti, which are major suppliers for Dacia, and Craiova, where it produces seating for Ford.

Johnson Controls expects the Romanian automotive market to grow by approximately 80 percent over the next four years.

Corina Saceanu, corina@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Johnson Controls)