Preh Automotive's North American Strategy: Cutting-Edge Technology
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., April 13 -- In a press conference held at the 2005 SAE Congress & Exposition in Detroit, Preh Automotive President and CEO Michael Roesnick outlined the company's strategy to gain business in the North American market with superior technology in its product line of driver controls and system sensors.
"Our first orders in the U.S. show that Preh's products can be very competitive in this market," Roesnick said. "Car companies are aware of our advanced technology edge, and we are already off to a good start by manufacturing the climate control system for the all-new General Motors Hummer H3."
Roesnick pointed to two product innovations that are proving to be of major interest in Detroit. The first is a new Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) surfacing technology that allows plastic components to be laser etched with a high-quality metallic surface, giving a superior touch and feel along with the capability of background lighting for nighttime visibility. Preh's PVD technology is already being used in Europe for the climate control systems of the BMW 5 series automobiles.
The second breakthrough is an interior sensor system that detects windshield fogging before it becomes visible. The sensor measures the relative humidity in the interior cabin, along with the windshield temperature, and calculates the fogging that is expected to occur and activates the climate control system to prevent it. Preh predicts that automatic fogging prevention will become a standard feature of automatic climate control systems within a few years.
About Preh Automotive
Founded in Bad Neustadt, Germany in 1919, Preh GmbH is a traditional electronics and precision mechanics manufacturer whose automotive division develops and supplies driver control systems and sensors to the automotive industry worldwide.
A full-service supplier, Preh Automotive works directly with both automakers and Tier I suppliers in the development and manufacture of complete control systems. The company also maintains in-house capabilities for plastics injection molding, precision mechanics, light-pipe design, electronics hardware, surface finishing, laser etching and software development.
With sales of $312 million (USD) in 2004, Preh GmbH employs over 1,900 people worldwide. Preh Automotive's North American customer service center is located in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
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