Top Ten Auto Interior Suppliers Control a Market That Continues to Grow

DETROIT, May 17, 2005 -- The top ten suppliers to the global interiors market control 64 percent or $16.5 billion of the $25.7 billion interiors market, according to analysis compiled by CSM Worldwide. This represents an 11 percent increase over 2001, when the top ten suppliers accounted for 53 percent and $10.4 billion of a $19.5 billion market.

The rank order for the top ten interior suppliers in the major global markets (North America, European and Japan/Korea) is as follows:

   1.  SAS Automotive
   2.  Visteon
   3.  Johnson Controls
   4.  Faurecia
   5.  Collins & Aikman
   6.  Lear
   7.  Intier
   8.  Calsonic Kansei
   9.  Grupo Antolin
   10. Peguform

CSM's figures, based on piece-cost estimates, represent the combined market value for the following interior components: door trim panels, floor carpeting, floor consoles, headliners, instrument panels and package trays.

According to CSM, two factors most contribute to the increased market growth and market concentration: suppliers' regional expansion and electronic component capability.

"Eight of the world's top ten interior trim suppliers provide components to OEMs in at least two of the three major light vehicle producing regions: Japan, North America and Europe," says Don Montroy, CSM Worldwide market analyst, North American component forecast. "These suppliers also have a diverse customer base in more than one region."

Additionally, electronics capability provides suppliers the opportunity to provide high-content, electronics-heavy modules, thus increasing the overall value of an interior module. Five of the top ten suppliers offer electronics as part of their product portfolio.

According to CSM, cockpit modules are a great example of an interior trim component that has gone from low-value component to high-value module. "Not so long ago the instrument panel was a relatively simple plastic component," adds Montroy. "But it has been transformed into a highly-integrated, high- dollar-value cockpit module."

CSM Worldwide (http://www.csmauto.com/ ) supports more than 350 of the world's top automakers, suppliers and financial organizations with global market intelligence and forecasting services. With corporate offices in Detroit, CSM Worldwide covers the global automotive environment from London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Paris, Sao Paulo, Singapore, Shanghai, Bangalore and Budapest.