Automotive Glass Giants to Merge

By: Glady Reign

Two leading companies in the automotive glass and replacement industry is set to merge so as to create what could be the biggest and most influential company in the said industry. These two giants of the automotive glass industry are BELRON, the world's leader in vehicle glass repair, and Safelite Group Inc. which is the US' largest automotive glass replacement and repair company.

The Safelite reputation for being the only integrated provider of automotive glass insurance in the country will be acquired by BELRON. Safelite also boasts of retail fulfillment, an automotive glass manufacturing plant and a network of wholesale distributions. The planned merging of the two companies will be subjected to regulatory approval for it to take place.

Talks are still going on and the deal may be sealed on March this year. Once the deal is completed, operation of the new organization will immediately commence. The combination of BELRON Inc., the US arm of the BELRON Company, and Safelite will give birth to a company that will be named Belron US. "This acquisition is the early phase of an overarching plan to profitably grow market share in an industry teeming with potential," Dan Wilson stated. Wilson is the president and chief executive officer of Safelite Group. The joining of the forces of the two leaders in the industry would greatly benefit not only the two companies but their customers as well.

"Growth will be organic and through additional strategic, targeted acquisitions. Safelite's customers, business partners and staff will benefit from a parent company with a global focus on the automotive glass industry. Belron is passionate about sharing best practices globally and has profitable growth at the center of its US ambitions," Wilson added further.

The partnership aims to take control 20 percent of the market. They are in such a position so as to make this a reality. Of course, it would not be that surprising since both companies are leaders on their field and the technologies employed by both companies will be combined. The combination of their potentials and their assets will benefit their buyers.

Belron already has 110 years of experience under its belt and their success is a testament to the company's effort to raise the bar in the automotive glass industry. Gary Lubner, the group chief executive officer of Belron stated that the their company's experience will help the partnership "provide more locations, increased capacity, and expanded service offerings to individual consumers as well as insurance, fleet, and commercial customers". Indeed, the new company will cover the basic and the marginal demands of the industry much like a covers a car's floor that well.

The partnership will greatly impact consumers positively. They will have an access not only to the 212 branches of Safelite but the merging will also add to that number the 90 branches of Belron in the US. Mobile service and repair vehicles will also be increased, Safelite has 2,200 of them and Belron will add to that with 500 of their own. The combination of their resources would mean that they would have wider service coverage all over the country, all of the 50 states will be considered in the expansion.

Aside from their consumer channel, Safelite also provides property and casualty claims management services under its subsidiary, Safelite Solutions. Another arm of Safelite is their service operation which is a national provider of complete automotive glass products. The service operation also installs and repairs materials and tools as well as replacing them. They have a wide network of warehouses in the United States composed of 81 depots across the country.

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