Hella GmbH & Co. KGaA (FORVIA HELLA)

Company Profile

■URL

https://www.hella.com

■Address

Rixbecker Straße 75, 59552 Lippstadt, Germany

Business Overview

-The Company develops and manufactures components and systems for automotive lighting and electronics. In addition, its joint ventures produce thermal control systems and vehicle electric systems.

-With the short fiscal year combined with the acquisition of the Company and creation of the Forvia entity, the Company's operations have been reorganized into three segments:

  • Lighting: Focuses on headlamps, combination rear lamps, body lighting and interior lighting; Formerly part of the Automotive reporting segment.
  • Electronics: Focuses on automated driving, sensors and actuators, body electronics, and energy management; Formerly part of the Automotive reporting segment.
  • Lifecycle Solutions: Comprised of Independent Aftermarket, Workshop Solutions and Special Original Equipment divisions; The former Aftermarket and Special Applications reporting segments were merged to create this segment.


-On January 31, 2022, Faurecia SE completed the acquisition of the Company after receiving all necessary regulatory approvals. Faurecia acquired a total of 79.5% of the shares in the Company including 60% of the Company’s shares from the pool of family shareholders. (From press releases on January 31, 2022 and February 7, 2022)

-As of January 1, 2023, the Company is changing its fiscal year structure to match the calendar year. As such, it has inserted a short fiscal period from June 1, 2022 through December 1, 2022 to accommodate the change in timing. The previous fiscal year covers the period of time from June 1, 2021 to May 31, 2022. Because of the differing timescales, the two time periods can be compared only to a limited extent.

Shareholders

-The Company is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and Luxembourg Stock Exchange.

-As of February 8, 2023, Faurecia currently holds 81.59% of the Company’s shares, while the remaining 18.41% of Company shares are in free float.

Products

Lighting
Headlamps
-Halogen headlamps
-Xenon headlamps
-LED headlamps
-Adaptive front lighting systems (AFS)
-Adaptive cut-off line lighting
-Vertical cut-off line lighting
-Matrix LED headlamps
-Front indicator lamps
-Work lamps
-SSL Micro-LED technologies
-Headlamp lens cleaning equipment

Combination rear lamps
-Indirect reflectors
-Direct reflectors
-Double reflectors
-Prism rods
-Light curtains
-EdgeLight light guides
-FlatLight miniaturization lighting technologies on SmartGlass displays
-Holographic rear lamps
-Glowing elements
-Mirror tunnels

Interior lighting
-Interior central lighting systems
-Interior lighting and reading lamps
-Multifunctional interior lamps
-Roof consoles
-Ambient lighting systems
-Small interior lamps
-ISELED
-Radomes

Car body lighting
-Fog lamps
-Daytime running lights
-Front combination lamps
-Turn indicators
-Center high mounted stop lamps
-License plate lamps
-Rear signal lamps
-Marker lights
-Light projection systems
-Grille illumination systems
-Multi-lens array

Lighting electronics
-AFS control units
-Power modules
-LED control units
-Xenon ballasts
-Control units for headlamp leveling systems
-Sensor-integrated control units for headlamp leveling systems
-Electronic lighting control components
-Lighting actuators

Electronics
Body electronics
-Body control modules
-Seat control modules
-Interior control units
-Closure control units
-Trailer tow modules
-Passive entry/go systems
-Keys and ID transmitters
-Access and authorization systems for keyless entry

Energy management systems
-Intelligent battery sensors
-Voltage stabilizers
-DC/DC converters
-Fuel pump control modules
-EPS control units
-Auxiliary heating modules
-Li-ion battery electronics
-Battery management systems

Driver assistance systems
-Lane change assist systems
-Rear active safety systems
-Rear cross traffic alert
-Distance warning sensors
-24 GHz radar sensors
-77 GHz radar sensors
-Radomes
-Camera software

Actuators
-Body actuators
-Engine compartment actuators
-Vacuum pumps
-Headlamp cleaning systems
-Relays
-Horns

Sensors
-Position sensors
-Accelerator pedal sensors
-Rain / Light sensors
-Oil sensors
-Steering torque / Angle sensors
-Transmission range sensors
-Vehicle level sensors
-Throttle position sensors
-Shake sensors
-Air quality sensors
-Climate sensors
-Temperature sensors
-Solar sensors
-Non-contact humidity sensors

Electric power steering control modules

Smartphone connectivity systems

History

1899 The "Westfalische Metall-Industrie Aktien-Gesellschaft" (Westphalian Metals Industry Ltd.) (WMI) is founded as a special factory for headlamps, cornets and fittings for bicycles and automobiles.
1908 The "Hella" brand name was created for the top product in the acetylene headlamp range.
1911 Construction of a factory on the site of the present-day Plant 1 in Lippstadt, Germany.
1923 Acquisition of majority shareholding by the Hueck family
1951 The company founds its first subsidiary with Metallwerk Todtnau GmbH, known since 1997 as Hella Innenleuchten-Systeme GmbH.
1955 Construction of Plant 3 in Paderborn, Germany (Today HDO and HLS)
1986 Company name is changed to "Hella KG Hueck & Co.".
1990 More than 20,000 employees worldwide
1991 The Company founds "Hella Fahrzeugsysteme GmbH", today known as "Hella-Behr Fahrzeugsysteme Meerane GmbH".
1992 Hella Autotechnik spol. s.r.o. is founded in the Czech Republic as the first production company in Eastern Europe.
1995 Certification in compliance with DIN EN ISO9001
1996 Expansion of activities through joint ventures in China, South Korea and Brazil.
1997 In the course of privatization in Slovenia, the Company acquires a majority shareholding in Saturnus Avtooprema d.d.
The Company is certified in compliance with QS9000 and VDA 6.1.
The Company established a production facility, which produces front end modules in the Czech Republic, through a joint venture company in collaboration with Behr.
1998 Hella Innenleuchten Systeme GmbH becomes competence center for interior lighting systems.
1999 Construction commences on a new factory for air-conditioning units under the auspices of the Hella-Behr cooperation.
Foundation of Hella Leuchten-Systeme GmbH as a competence center for signal lighting
2000 The Company celebrates its centenary anniversary in financial year 1999/2000.
Start of production commences in the new HLC lighting technology factory in York, USA.
2001 The Company and Leoni Bordnetz-Systeme GmbH established the Intedis joint venture company in Wurzburg, Germany for the development of intelligent vehicle electrical systems.
2002 The Company and Stanley Electric found holding company Hella-Stanley Holding Pty. Ltd., headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.
Apr. 2003 Converted into a partnership with limited shares, trading under the name Hella KGaA Hueck & Co.
2004 Formed a joint venture with Behr and Plastic Omnium to create HBPO, a supplier of front-end modules.
2005 Successful restructuring of German light and electronics factories to form global technology competency centers.
2006 Opened a new development and production site for motor-vehicle electronics in Timisoara, Romania.
Founding of Hella India Electronics, New Delhi, India, as a production site for horns and sensors.
The Company acquires Aglaia GmbH, Berlin, Germany, to strengthen innovation in the field of camera-based driver-assistance systems.
2008 Change in corporate form: new partnership with limited public shares and liability is named HELLA KGaA Hueck & Co.
2012 Formed a joint venture with Changchun FAWAY Automobile Components Co. Ltd. in Changchun, Jilin Province, China.
HBPO entered into the ASEAN market via a joint venture with DRB Hicom in Malaysia.
Apr. 2014 Announced establishment of a 50/50 joint venture named Beijing Hella BHAP Automotive Lighting Co., Ltd. in China with BAIC.
Dec. 2014 Celebrated inauguration of 50/50 joint venture, Beijing Hainachuan Hella Automotive Lamp Co., Ltd.
2017 Joint venture with Beijing Hainachuan Automotive Parts Co., Ltd., Beijing Hella BHAP Automotive Lighting Co., Ltd., officially launched the operation of its new plant in Tianjin
2018 Announced expansion of its global production capacity of electronic control units (ECU) for Electrical Power Steering (EPS) from Germany and China, with plans to add Romania, Mexico, Brazil and India by 2019.
Sep. 2018 Opened a new plant in Lithuania in the Kaunas Free Economic Zone.
Nov. 2018 The Company and Faurecia announced that they will cooperate in a strategic partnership for the development of innovative interior lighting solutions.
Jan. 2019 Announced that it has extended its partnership with AEye to deliver customized sensing and perception solutions for ADAS and Automated Driving based on AEye’s iDAR technology.
Jan. 2019 The Company and Plastic Omnium entered into a strategic cooperation.
Feb. 2019 The Company announced that it has opened a second electronics plant in India.
Aug. 2021 The Company and Faurecia signed an agreement on the combination of the two companies.
Feb. 2022 Faurecia completed the acquisition of the Company, acquiring 79.5% of the Company’s shares for EUR 5.3 billion. The Company and Faurecia also introduced Forvia, the name of the newly combined Group.

Supplemental Information 1