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Tenneco Inc 2006 company profile edition 3
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Tenneco Inc 2006 company profile edition 3
September 2006 Published by Aroq Limited Seneca House
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Table of contents
Single-user licence edition..................................................................................................................ii
Copyright statement ....................................................................................................................... ii
Incredible ROI for your budget – single and multi-user licences .................................................... ii
just-auto.com membership ............................................................................................................ iii
Table of contents.................................................................................................................................iv
List of figures........................................................................................................................................v
List of tables ........................................................................................................................................vi
Chapter 1 Company Dossier ...............................................................................................................1
Company Name .............................................................................................................................1
Business Activity ............................................................................................................................1
Stock Symbol .................................................................................................................................1
Key Executives...............................................................................................................................1
Summary Financials.......................................................................................................................2
Key Competitors.............................................................................................................................2
Key Customers...............................................................................................................................2
Outlook ...........................................................................................................................................2
Chapter 2 Worldwide Locations..........................................................................................................4
Chapter 3 Financial Analysis...............................................................................................................6
Chapter 4 Competitor Analysis ...........................................................................................................8
Chapter 5 Key Events.........................................................................................................................10
Chapter 6 SWOT Analysis .................................................................................................................13
Strengths ......................................................................................................................................13
Weaknesses.................................................................................................................................13
Opportunities ................................................................................................................................14
Threats .........................................................................................................................................14
Chapter 7 Customers .........................................................................................................................16
Chapter 8 Products ............................................................................................................................22
Chapter 9 Product Development.......................................................................................................25
Chapter 10 Prospects.........................................................................................................................27
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List of figures
Figure 1: Top OE customers of Tenneco, 2004-2005 (as a % of net sales) ................................17
Figure 2: Top AM customers of Tenneco, 2004-2005 (as a % of net sales) ................................18
Figure 3: Breakdown of sales across regions, 2004-2005 (as a % of net sales) .........................19
Figure 4: Breakdown of sales across markets, 2004-2005 (as a % of net sales) ........................20
Figure 5: Tenneco’s sales across products, 2004-2005 (as a % of net sales).............................24
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List of tables
Table 1: Facilities of Tenneco across the world, 2005 ...................................................................4
Table 2: Tenneco’s key financial performance, 2001-2005............................................................7
Table 3: Tenneco’s key competitors in the OE market worldwide..................................................8
Table 4: Tenneco’s key competitors in the worldwide aftermarket.................................................8
Table 5: Customers of Tenneco across regions...........................................................................16
Table 6: Top five OE customers of Tenneco across product divisions, 2005 ..............................19
Table 7: Top five AM customers of Tenneco across product divisions, 2005 ..............................19
Table 8: Products offered by Tenneco in the OE market .............................................................22
Table 9: Products offered by Tenneco to AM customers .............................................................23
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Chapter 1 Company Dossier
Company Name
Tenneco Inc
Business Activity
Tenneco Inc, based at Lake Forest, Illinois (US), is one of the largest producers
of emission control and ride control products, as well as elastomer systems
worldwide. The company previously known as Tenneco Automotive renamed
itself as Tenneco Inc, in October 2005. The company is involved in the designing,
engineering, manufacturing, marketing and selling of individual components,
modules and systems and serves the global automotive original equipment (OE)
market and aftermarket (AM) customers. Brand portfolio of the company includes
Monroe (shocks and struts), Rancho (truck shocks), Walker (emission systems
and components) and Gillet (exhaust systems). Its elastomer products are sold
under the Clevite brand name. Tenneco has operations in 24 countries across six
continents. In the fiscal 2005 (ended 31 December 2005), Tenneco posted net
sales of US$4,441m, up 5.4% increase over fiscal 2004.
Stock Symbol
Tenneco’s common stock is listed and traded on the New York Stock Exchange
(NYSE) under the ticker symbol TEN. The company’s stocks are also listed on
the London, Pacific and Chicago stock exchanges.
Key Executives
Timothy R Donovan, executive vice-president (EVP), strategy and business
development, general counsel
Hari N Nair, EVP and managing director (MD), (Europe, South America and
India)
Kenneth R Trammell, EVP and chief financial officer
Brent J Bauer, Sr. VP (senior vice-president) and general manager (GM), North
American original equipment emission control
Neal Yanos, Sr. VP and GM, North American original equipment ride control and
North American aftermarket
Timothy E Jackson, Sr. VP, technology and GM, Asia Pacific
Richard P Schneider, Sr. VP, global administration
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Paul Schultz, Sr. VP, manufacturing and global supply chain management
Paul D Novas, VP and controller
H William Haser, VP and chief information officer
Due to the resignation of Mark P Ficcosa (former chairman, chief executive
officer and president) from Tenneco in July 2006, board of the company
established an office comprising Timothy R Donovan, Hari N Nair, Kenneth R
Trammell, and Neal Yanos for assuming the responsibilities of CEO, until a new
person is selected for the position. Also, Paul T Stecko has been appointed the
non-executive chairman on an interim basis.
Summary Financials
In millions of $ 2003 2004 2005 Net sales 3,766 4,213 4,441 Net income/(loss) 26 15 58 Capital expenditure 130 130 144 Working capital (as a % of sales) 2.4 1.2 2.2
Fiscal years ended 31 December Source: Tenneco
Key Competitors
Major competitors of Tenneco in the OE emission control market include
ArvinMeritor based in the US; Eberspacher based in Germany; Belgium-based
Bosal; and France-based Faurecia. In the OE ride control market, the company
competes primarily against the US-based Delphi and ArvinMeritor; the German
company ZF, and Japan’s KYB Corporation. Tenneco’s competitors in the
aftermarket business include ArvinMeritor and Bosal.
Key Customers
Tenneco’s primary OE customers include DaimlerChrysler, Ford, GM, PSA
Peugeot/Citroën, Nissan, Honda, Mazda, PACCAR, Scania, BMW, Mitsubishi,
Tata Motors, Toyota and Volkswagen. In the aftermarket business, its key
customers include Temot and Auto Distribution International in Europe, and
O’Reilly Automotive, Advance Auto Parts in North America and National Auto
Parts Association (NAPA).
Outlook
Tenneco has increased its annual sales by nearly $1bn after the company was
established as Tenneco Automotive in 1999. The company foresees a strong
market for its DPF (diesel particulate filters) components and projects the latter’s
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demand to be about 3m units in 2007 and more than 8m units in 2012. The
company also aims to triple its share for ride control products like shock
absorbers, struts, suspension modules and systems by 2007. It plans to
capitalise on the high-growth markets by expanding its business in regions like
Eastern Europe and China. The legislative regulation on safety and emissions
proves to be a vital prospect for the company. In a favourable development,
Tenneco announced in May 2005 that it was awarded new contracts from leading
OEMs to supply advanced ride control and emission products. The five new
contracts that the company signed were estimated at over $400m annually and
are set to be launched in the latter half of 2006 and the full year of 2007.
Tenneco expects to register OEM sales of $3.5bn in 2006 and $4.5bn in 2007.
However, key factors such as rising steel prices and OEMs’ inventory levels,
make Tenneco take a cautious stance. The price rise, especially in steel, is to
such an extent that the company is unable to justify the hike to its customers.
The company plans to face these challenges mainly through diversification of its
product portfolio and customer base.
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Chapter 2 Worldwide Locations
Tenneco Inc is headquartered at Lake Forest, Illinois, US. As of 31 December,
2005, the company employed nearly 19,000 personnel on its global operations
and operated 13 engineering facilities and 79 manufacturing facilities, in 135
countries across the globe. It also has sales offices in Argentina, Australia,
Croatia, China, Egypt, Hungary, Greece, Japan, Italy, Singapore, Lithuania,
Turkey and Ukraine.
Table 1: Facilities of Tenneco across the world, 2005
Manufacturing centres Region Engineering centres Emission control Ride control
North America
Grass Lake, Michigan Jackson, Michigan Monroe, Michigan Milan, Ohio
Elkhart, Indiana Ewansville, Indiana Ligonier, Indiana Kansas City, Kansas* Litchfield, Michigan Marshall, Michigan Lincoln, Nebraska Seward, Nebraska Emigsville, Pennsylvania Smithville, Tennessee San Antonio, Texas Harrisonburg, Virginia Virginia Beach, Virginia* Milwaukee, Wisconsin Cambridge, Ontario, Canada Puebla, Mexico (2)*
Paragould, Arkansas Long Beach, California Hartwell, Georgia Angola, Indiana Sterling Heights, Michigan* St. Louis, Missouri* Cozad, Nebraska Milan, Ohio Napoleon, Ohio Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada Windsor, Ontario, Canada* Celaya, Mexico Reynosa, Mexico
South America
Mogi Mirim, Brazil Rosario, Argentina
Buenos Aires, Argentina Mogi Mirim, Brazil
Rosario, Argentina Cotia, Brazil Mogi Mirim, Brazil
Europe
St Truiden, Belgium Edenkoben, Germany Gliwice, Poland Rybnik, Poland
Gent, Belgium* Hodkovice, Czech Republic Etain, France Iwuy, France* Laval, France Rennes, France* Wissembourg,
St. Truiden, Belgium Hodkovice, Czech Republic Poissy, France* Hannover, Germany* Gliwice, Poland
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France Edenkoben, Germany Ingolstadt, Germany* Saarlouis, Germany* Zwickau, Germany Poznan, Poland* Rybnik, Poland Palmela, Portugal* Togliatti, Russia Valencia, Spain Arendal, Sweden* Vittaryd, Sweden Burnley, UK Tredegar, UK Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Ermua, Spain Gijon, Spain Martorell, Spain* Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Asia Yokohama, Japan
Changchun, China (2) Chongqing, China Dalian, China (2) Shanghai, China Pune, India Bangkok, Thailand
Beijing, China Gurgaon, India Hosur, India Pondicherry, India
Australia / New Zealand
Clovelly Park, Australia Dunsborough, Australia O'Sullivan Beach, Australia Sydney, Australia
O'Sullivan Beach, Australia
Clovelly Park, Australia Sydney, Australia Morea, New Zealand
Source: Tenneco
Note: * Denotes ‘just-in-time’ (JIT) Plants
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Chapter 3 Financial Analysis
In fiscal 2005 (ended 31 December 2005), Tenneco posted net sales of $4,441m,
a growth of 5.4% over fiscal 2004. This increase was primarily attributed to the
high selling OE platforms and to higher sales in the European and North
American aftermarket. Gross margin declined to 19.3% in fiscal 2005, from
20.1% in 2004, due to the increased steel, fuel and transportation costs as well
as higher restructuring charges. EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) rose by
23.6% over 2004 to $215m during fiscal 2005. The net income of the company in
2005 stood at $58m, increasing by 286.7% over 2004. The growth in earnings
and income were attributed to the reduced costs, controlled selling, general and
administrative expenses and to the higher global sales volume.
Sales generated from the North American region during fiscal 2005 stood at
$2,034m, increasing by 3.5% over fiscal 2004. Sales generated from Europe,
South America and India during fiscal 2005 stood at $2,110m, increasing by
8.8% over fiscal 2004. During fiscal 2005, sales from the Asia-Pacific region
decreased 2.4% to $371m.
In the second quarter of fiscal 2006 (ended 30 June 2006), Tenneco posted net
sales of $1,222m, an increase of 3.6% over the second quarter of fiscal 2005.
This increase in sales was attributed to the higher North American and European
AM sales and higher OE sales in Asia, South America and Europe. Gross margin
for the second quarter of the fiscal was 20.5%, increase from 20.3% in the
second quarter of fiscal 2005. EBIT recorded by the company during the quarter
was $73m, a decline of 12.1% from the second quarter of 2005. During the
second quarter of 2006, the company recorded a net income of $24m, a year-on-
year decline of 27.3%.
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Table 2: Tenneco’s key financial performance, 2001-2005
(Figures are in millions of $, unless otherwise indicated) 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Net sales 3,364 3,459 3,766 4,213 4,441Cost of sales NA NA 2,996 3,368 3,583EBIT 90 169 174 174 215Net income/(loss) (131) (187) 26 15 58Engineering and R&D expense 67 67 67 76 83Capital expenditures 127 138 130 130 144Working capital (as a % of sales) 6.4 4.0 2.4 1.2 2.2Cash and cash equivalents 53 54 145 214 141Total assets 2,706 2,565 2,852 3,119 2,940Shareholders’ equity/(deficit) 82 (86) 65 159 129Number of employees 20,145 20,000 19,100 18,400 19,000
Fiscal years ended 31 December Source: Tenneco
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Chapter 4 Competitor Analysis
Tenneco experiences a highly competitive environment in North and South
America, Europe and the Asia Pacific. Customer loyalty is one of the key factors
for business in the auto industry. The other differentiating factors that favour the
choice of component suppliers by OEMs, for long-standing relationships, include
customer service, value added products, timely delivery and quality. Support
services and product pricing are the other determining factors. Tenneco is one of
the global leaders in the supply of ride control and emission control products and
systems. In the aftermarket segment, the company is considered as the market
leader across its product segments.
Table 3: Tenneco’s key competitors in the OE market worldwide
Product division Key competitors Emission control ArvinMeritor, Faurecia, Eberspächer, Bosal, Delphi,
Nelson Fleetguard Ride control ZF Sachs, Delphi, ArvinMeritor, KYB Corporation,
Magneti Marelli, Hitachi Source: Tenneco
Table 4: Tenneco’s key competitors in the worldwide aftermarket
Product division Key competitors Emission control ArvinMeritor, OE Service, Bosal, Goerlich’s Exhaust
Systems, International Muffler Company Ride control ArvinMeritor, KYB Corporation, OE Service, ZF Sachs
Source: Tenneco
Over the years, the consolidation among component manufacturers and OE
customers, has re-defined the operating characteristics prevailing in the
competitive landscape. This consolidation trend is resulting in fewer but larger
suppliers, who derive benefits like economies of scale. These trends affect the
independent manufacturers like Tenneco, who are exposed to intensified
competition. The OEM customers require the component manufactures to reduce
costs, and this forces these suppliers to undertake activities like cost reduction
and operational improvements.
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In order to meet challenges in a highly competitive automotive environment,
ArvinMeritor has adopted the 3R strategy (Rationalize, Refocus and
Regenerate): to rationalise its operations by strengthening its manufacturing
base and reducing over capacity; to refocus resources on its core strengths and
divest its loss making business; and to regenerate profits and improve its market
share by expanding its product line and by offering advanced technological
solutions. Furthermore, the company intends to become one of the leading
automotive suppliers in the world by 2010. To this end, ArvinMeritor has resolved
to focus on refining its product portfolio and develop its presence in the emerging
markets, like India and China.
KYB Corporation implemented the ‘Change & Speed’ plan during the period FY
2002/03-FY 2004/05, and claims to have met all its targets, except its profit
margin target. Presently, the company is implementing the ‘Change &
Accomplishment V10’ (C&A V10) plans till FY 2007/08. Key strategies of this
plan include shifting its production to low-cost bases, creating an optimal and
favourable global supply network, and reducing its cost and interest bearing debt.
In August 2005, KYB Corporation announced that it intends to boost its
investments by 42% over the following three years (that is, an expenditure of
JPY44bn, in comparison with the expenditure of JPY31bn incurred over the three
year period that preceded August 2005). The bulk of the investments (JPY33bn)
were earmarked for the company’s core business of shock absorbers. Other
activities focused by the company include capacity expansions in China and the
US, and enhancement of its distribution systems in Mexico. These steps are
expected to favour the business of the company, as OEM customers of the
company, such as, Toyota, Honda and Nissan are proactively expanding their
sales and market presence in the US, at the cost of large western players, such
as, GM.
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Chapter 5 Key Events
Tenneco Automotive came into existence in 1999, following the split of the earlier
Tenneco Inc into Tenneco Automotive and Pactiv Corporation, the packaging unit
of Tenneco Inc. Tenneco began trading independently on the NYSE in the same
year.
Tenneco Inc’s history dates back to 1943, when it was established as the
Tennessee Gas and Transmission Company (TGTC), in order to build a pipeline
between West Virginia and Texas. After the Second World War, TGTC became a
public company. In 1954, TGTC merged its oil and gas exploration business into
Tennessee Production Company. Later, Tennessee Production Company, along
with Bay Petroleum (acquired in 1955), became Tenneco Oil in 1961. Tenneco
Oil adopted the name of Tenneco Inc in 1966, after it had grown into a
conglomerate, holding various interests. Tenneco entered the exhaust system
market in 1967, following the acquisition of the Walker Manufacturing Company.
A decade later, the company enhanced its automotive portfolio by entering the
ride control product market with the acquisition of Monroe Auto Equipment
Company.
Tenneco sold its agricultural operations and oil exploration and manufacture
business, in 1987 and 1988, respectively. The company also entered into an
intensified round of restructuring in the early 1990s. For instance, the company
sold its natural gas liquids business to Enron (Texas, US), and its US-based
soda ash manufacturing facility to Solvay of Belgium. During the 1990s, Tenneco
expanded its converter and emission system design, development, testing and
manufacturing capabilities. Through the acquisition of Heinrich Gillet GmbH
(Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany) in 1994, Tenneco became one of Europe’s leading
OE emission control system suppliers. The company acquired Autocan, a
Mexican catalytic converter and exhaust pipe assembly manufacturer, in 1997.
Two years later, in 1999, Tenneco was officially carved out of Tenneco Inc and
began trading independently on the NYSE. In the same year, Tenneco entered
into a cooperation alliance with Siemens (Germany) and Ohlins Racing
(Sweden), covering advanced ride control and suspension systems. The alliance
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also included development and commercialisation agreements. The turn of the
century heralded a wave of international expansion by Tenneco, amidst various
job-cutting measures. In early 2001, it enhanced its presence in Eastern Europe,
with the acquisition of a $20m manufacturing facility in Gliwice, Poland, to
produce shock absorbers for Europe-based vehicle manufacturers.
In 2002, Tenneco intensified its job-cutting measures by announcing over 900 job
cuts and the closure of around eight plants spread across Europe and North
America. These measures were adopted by the company chiefly to cut its costs
and to bring down its debt levels that shot up due to the spin-off of Pactiv.
Tenneco further continued to boost its expansion in Central and Eastern Europe
and opened a new plant in Togliatti in Russia. In April 2004, Tenneco announced
plans to set up an engineering centre in China. The project required a $7m
investment, and is expected to boost Tenneco’s engineering resources and
enhanced service to its growing Chinese customer base.
In September 2004, Tenneco announced that it was launching its DNX range of
suspension, performance exhaust and filter products in Europe. The DNX range
leverages its expertise in developing sophisticated automotive components in
Europe’s tuning market segment. Moreover, during the same month, the
company announced the launch of its elastomer business in the European
region, in order to build upon the success of its Clevite Elastomers brand in North
and South America.
Tenneco announced in October 2004, that it planned to reduce up to 250
salaried positions, especially at the senior and middle management levels, as
part of its restructuring efforts, worldwide. The company also announced the
consolidation of its Australia/New Zealand operations with its Asian operations, to
form an Asia-Pacific business unit, thus reducing the number of its SBUs
(strategic business units) to six. In February 2005, Tenneco announced that it
acquired almost the entire assets of Gabilan Manufacturing Inc (California, US) a
private company that has been supplying exhaust systems to Harley-Davidson
motorcycles exclusively since 1978.
In October 2005, Tenneco announced that its name was changed to Tenneco Inc
from Tenneco Automotive. The company stated that the new name better
represented its growth across a number of new markets driven by its business of
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commercial and specialty vehicles. The company expects the new branding to
display its dedication to customers from adjacent markets, apart from its
traditional automotive customers. However, the company’s stock continues to
retain its old ticker symbol ‘TEN’ on NYSE.
The US-based International Truck and Engine Corporation (ITEC) awarded a
supply contract to Tenneco during January 2006. As per this contract, Tenneco
would supply its exhaust after-treatment systems for ITEC’s medium-duty diesel
vehicles, which are to be launched in 2007. During February 2006, Tenneco
announced its expansion plans in China through additional investments in its
engineering and manufacturing facilities. The expansion plans include the
establishing of Tenneco Suzhou Vibration Control Company Ltd, for the
manufacture of elastomer components at Suzhou, China; establishing an
engineering centre at Shanghai, through a joint venture with Shanghai Tractor
and Engine Company (STEC); and increasing its stake in Beijing Monroe Shock
Co to 65% from the present 51%. During April 2006, Tenneco was honoured with
the “2006 Automotive News PACE Award” in recognition of its innovative light-
weight and low-cost mufflers, developed at its Engineering Centre in Edenkoben,
Germany. The Premier Automotive Suppliers’ Contribution to Excellence (PACE)
award is presented to suppliers for achieving higher business performance,
technological advancements and superior innovation.
In May 2006, Tenneco announced expansion of its emission control engineering
facility in Grass Lake, Michigan. In June 2006, the company announced that it
has secured business worth $8m annually, from around 13 players in the North
American aftermarket.
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Chapter 6 SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Tenneco is one of the world’s largest producers of automotive ride control and
emission control products and systems. In the aftermarket, Tenneco claims to be
the leader in both product areas in the markets that it serves worldwide. Some of
its popular brands include Monroe, Rancho, Fric-Rot and Clevite Elastomers, in
the area of ride control products; and Walker, Fonos and Gillet in the area of
emission control products. The company’s products were featured on nine out of
the top ten passenger car models manufactured in Western Europe, as well as
on all the top ten light truck models that were produced in North America in 2005.
In a favourable development, Tenneco announced in May 2005 that it was
awarded new contracts from leading OEMs to supply advanced ride control and
emission products. The five new contracts that the company acquired were
estimated at over $400m (annualised), and are set to be launched in the latter
half of 2006 and the full year of 2007. These contracts underline the company’s
strength as a leading global provider of diesel after treatment systems. Also, it
has increased its electronic ride control business with the leading European
luxury vehicle manufacturers.
Weaknesses
Tenneco appears to depend on a limited number of customers for a major portion
of its sales. For instance, in fiscal 2005, GM, Ford, Volkswagen and
DaimlerChrysler together accounted for 46.4% of the company’s sales, of which
Ford and GM together contributed 28.3%. Furthermore, Tenneco is highly
dependent (nearly half of the company's total sales) on North American
customers, which again reflects the imbalanced geographic distribution of the
company’s sales. With GM and Ford cutting production levels and steadily losing
its market share in the US, dependence on these players for a significant
percentage of its sales entails huge operational risks for Tenneco. For example,
GM and Ford had announced a reduction in production volume for the third
quarter of 2006 by around 8.4% and 2.5%, respectively, from the third quarter of
2005.
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Opportunities
The company is spending heavily on engineering and research and development
(R&D) in order to produce technologically advanced components, with the aim of
improving its safety and emission standards. Tenneco was the pioneer in
developing and commercialising DPF, which could completely eliminate
hydrocarbon and carbon emissions, without hurting the engine performance.
Also, the company recently acquired Gabilan Manufacturing, an exhaust systems
producer for Harley-Davidson Motorcycles. This move is expected to reduce
costs for Tenneco significantly and improve its technical capabilities and quality.
Tenneco received contracts from the European OEMs for its DPF and
computerised electronic suspension (CES) technologies. The company
developed DPF technology in association with the French auto major PSA
Peugeot-Citroën in 2005. Moreover, the company expects the demand for DPF
to grow from 40,000 units in 2004, to 3m units by 2007, and about 8m units by
2012. Peugeot 407 coupe was the latest addition to Tenneco’s growing list of
DPF users. The company plans to equip vans, medium-duty commercial trucks
and pick-up trucks with diesel exhaust systems in North America. Furthermore,
growth in the sales of diesel cars in Europe, coupled with the growing concerns
on emission norms, is providing ample opportunities for players like Tenneco, in
the exhaust systems market.
China will continue to be one of the promising markets for Tenneco’s future
growth. The demand for automotive components is likely to increase as the
Chinese automotive industry is on the rise. Tenneco has projected sales of
$400m from this market by fiscal 2006.
Threats
On an average, the useful product life of automotive components is increasing
steadily. This requires the vehicle owners to replace the parts less often, thereby
affecting the aftermarket sales. Hence, in order to drive demand in the
aftermarket, the companies have to launch innovative and technologically
advanced aftermarket products, which upgrade performance of the original
components in the vehicle.
The company has experienced significant increases in raw material prices and
any further price rise would affect the company adversely. The price rises,
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especially in steels and metals are to such an extent that the company, like
several of its competitors, is unable to pass on this hike to the customers in time.
In addition, component manufacturers like Tenneco are facing pricing pressure
from the OEMs, which is pulling down their operating margin.
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Chapter 7 Customers
Tenneco served over 30 different OEMs globally, as of 31 December 2005. The
company works in coherence with its customers in all stages, from production to
delivery, in order to instil long-term relationships. Tenneco’s aftermarket
customers include specialty and full-line warehouse distributors, jobbers,
retailers, car dealers and installer chains. Its key aftermarket customers are
National Auto Parts Association (NAPA), TEMOT Autoteile GmbH, Advance Auto
Parts and Automotive Distribution International. The company’s products and
systems were featured on nine out of the top ten passenger car models,
manufactured in Western Europe, as well as on the entire top ten light truck
models, manufactured in North America during 2005.
The following table illustrates Tenneco’s customers across key geographical
regions.
Table 5: Customers of Tenneco across regions
Regions Customers North America AM General, Caterpillar, Club Car, DaimlerChrysler, E-Z Go
Golf Car, Ford, Freightliner, GM, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Isuzu, Motor Coach Industries, Navistar, Nissan, PACCAR, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo Trucks
Europe BMW, DaimlerChrysler, Fiat, Ford, GM, Nissan, PACCAR, Porsche, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Renault, Scania, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo Truck
Asia BMW, Club Car, E-Z Go Golf Car, Fiat, First Auto Works, Ford, GM, Isuzu, Jinbei Automobile, Nissan, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Tata Motors, Toyota, TVS Motor and Volkswagen
South America DaimlerChrysler, Fiat, Ford, GM, Mitsubishi, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Renault, Scania and Volkswagen
Australia Club Car, Ford, GM, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Navistar and Toyota Source: Tenneco
The following table lists Tenneco’s top OE and AM customers in 2004 and 2005.
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Figure 1: Top OE customers of Tenneco, 2004-2005 (as a % of net sales)
2004
PSA Peugeot Citroën7.4%
Ford Motor Co12.0%
Volkswagen10.5%
DaimlerChrysler8.0%
Toyota Motor Co3.9%
Nissan Motor Co2.2%
Others38.1%
General Motors17.9%
2005
PSA Peugeot Citroën6.1%
Ford Motor Co11.6%
Volkswagen9.1%
DaimlerChrysler9.0%
Toyota Motor Co3.6%
Nissan Motor Co3.3%
Others40.6%
General Motors16.7%
OE Customer 2004 2005 General Motors 17.9 16.7 Ford Motor Co 12.0 11.6 Volkswagen 10.5 9.1 DaimlerChrysler 8.0 9.0 PSA Peugeot Citroën 7.4 6.1 Toyota Motor Co 3.9 3.6 Nissan Motor Co 2.2 3.3 Others 38.1 40.6 Total 100.0 100.0
Source: Tenneco
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Figure 2: Top AM customers of Tenneco, 2004-2005 (as a % of net sales)
2004
Uni-Select0.4% Advance Auto
Parts1.1%
Automotive Distribution International
1.1%
TEMOT Autoteile GmbH
1.3%
O’Reilly Automotive
0.6%
NAPA2.0%
Others93.1%
Kwik-Fit Europe0.4%
2005
Uni-Select0.7% Advance Auto
Parts1.2%
Automotive Distribution International
1.1%
TEMOT Autoteile GmbH
1.5%
O’Reilly Automotive
0.7%
NAPA1.9%
Others92.5%
Kwik-Fit Europe0.4%
AM Customer 2004 2005 NAPA 2.0 1.9 TEMOT Autoteile GmbH 1.3 1.5 Advance Auto Parts 1.1 1.2 Automotive Distribution International 1.1 1.1 Uni-Select 0.4 0.7 O’Reilly Automotive 0.6 0.7 Kwik-Fit Europe 0.4 0.4 Others 93.1 92.5 Total 100.0 100.0
Source: Tenneco
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The following tables list the top five customers of Tenneco’s product divisions in
2005, with respect to the OE and AM categories.
Table 6: Top five OE customers of Tenneco across product divisions, 2005
Emission control Ride control GM Ford Ford Volkswagen Volkswagen GM PSA Peugeot/Citroën DaimlerChrysler DaimlerChrysler Nissan
Source: Tenneco
Table 7: Top five AM customers of Tenneco across product divisions, 2005
Emission control Ride control NAPA NAPA TEMOT Autoteile Advance Auto Parts Automotive Distribution International O’Reilly Auto Parts Advance Auto Parts TEMOT Autoteile Independent Motor Trade Factors Association Pep Boys
Source: Tenneco
Figure 3: Breakdown of sales across regions, 2004-2005 (as a % of net sales)
2004Asia Pacific
8.87%
Europe, South America and
India45.26%
North America45.87%
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2005Asia Pacific
8.22%
Europe, South America and
India46.73%
North America45.05%
Region 2004 2005 North America 45.87 45.05 Europe, South America and India 45.26 46.73 Asia Pacific 8.87 8.22 Total 100.00 100.00
Source: Tenneco
Figure 4: Breakdown of sales across markets, 2004-2005 (as a % of net sales)
2004
Aftermarket23.62%
Original equipment
market76.38%
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2005Aftermarket
22.99%
Original equipment
market77.01%
Products 2004 2005 Original equipment market 76.38 77.01 Aftermarket 23.62 22.99 Total 100.00 100.00
Source: Tenneco
During 2005, Toyota went into business with Tenneco for the latter’s exhaust
components, to be used on its next generation pick-up truck, Tundra. Tenneco
plans to supply Toyota from its two just-in-time (JIT) plants in Indiana and Texas.
Tenneco currently supplies its products to Toyota’s Sienna, tC Sport, Avalon,
Lexus RX 330 SUV and Sequoia.
Tenneco announced in May 2005 that it had been awarded new contracts from
leading OEMs, for the supply of its advanced ride control and emission products.
The five new contracts that the company bagged were estimated at over $400m
(annualised), and are set to be launched in the latter half of 2006 and 2007.
Additionally, in May 2005, the company secured a contract for $12m for the ride
control system using CES technology for a European vehicle platform. Also
during the month, the company announced that it is supplying rear shock and
front strut module for Suzuki Swift Sport, launched in Japan. In addition, the
company announced that it has secured business from Toyota Motor Europe to
supply its retrofit DPF for Toyota’s complete range of diesel cars.
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Chapter 8 Products
Tenneco is one of the leading manufacturers of automotive ride control and
emission control systems. The company offers products serving both the OE and
the aftermarket segments.
Table 8: Products offered by Tenneco in the OE market
Product Operations Products Markets served Brands
Emission control
Complete exhaust systems Fabricated manifolds Manifold-converter modules Catalytic converters Mufflers and resonators DPF systems NOx abatement systems Exhaust heat exchangers Exhaust isolators and hanging systems
Passenger cars Light trucks Commercial vehicles Industrial applications Motorbikes Buses
Gillet Wimetal Walker
Ride control
Shocks and struts Suspension bushings Coil, air and leaf springs Torque rods Engine/body mounts Suspension modules/systems Control arms/bars/links Cabin dampers Computerised electronic suspension Anti-roll system
Passenger cars Light trucks Commercial vehicles Golf carts Off-road recreational Rail cars Buses
Monroe Axios Clevite Elastomers Kinetic Fric-Rot
Source: Tenneco
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Table 9: Products offered by Tenneco to AM customers
Product Operations
Products Markets Served
Brands
Emission control
Manifolds Mufflers Pipes Tubing Mounting components Catalytic converters Performance mufflers Headers
Passenger cars Light trucks Commercial vehicles Performance vehicles
Walker Exhaust Systems DNX Fonos Lukey Performance Exhaust DynoMAx Performance Exhaust Thrush Turbo
Ride control
Shocks Struts Cartridges Mounting kits Performance shocks, struts, filters and brakes Torque rods Suspension bushings Engine mounts Coil springs Car-appearance products
Passenger cars Light trucks Commercial vehicles Performance vehicles Trailers
Monroe Rancho Axios Kinetic Suspension Systems DNX Armstrong
Source: Tenneco
In May 2006, the company launched retrofit DPF in the European AM under the
brand Tenneco Walker.
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Figure 5: Tenneco’s sales across products, 2004-2005 (as a % of net sales)
2004
Ride control37.1%
Emission control62.9%
2005
Ride control37.9%
Emission control62.1%
Products 2004 2005 Emission control 62.9 62.1 Ride control 37.1 37.9 Total 100.0 100.0
Source: Tenneco
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Chapter 9 Product Development
Tenneco, being an automotive component supplier, sees through an increasing
demand from its customers, to deliver products that are technologically advanced
and comply stringently with the emission norms. In this effort, Tenneco invested
$83m (1.9% of the net sales) on engineering and R&D in 2005, an increase of
9.2% compared to previous fiscal. Tenneco has developed an innovative valve
for mono-tube shock absorbers called the Monotube Blow Off (MTBO) valve,
which has better durability, tuneability and damping consistency. These mono-
tube shock absorbers are single tube high-pressure gas shocks, which offer
enhanced vehicle stability and handling with design features that provide more
mounting options and higher damping levels, when compared to similar twin tube
shocks. With the MTBO valve, low damping forces can be independently tuned in
rebound and compression modes. The system also independently adjusts
damping blow-off levels and damping progression rates, in mid- to high-speed
ranges. The MTBO valve differs from standard mono-tube valve designs, where
damping force levels and progression rates are mutually dependent.
One of the novel developments in the ride control segment is the CES. This semi
active suspension system delivers an optimal balance in ride, control and
handling. The system continuously monitors the vehicle ride, including road
condition and a vehicle dynamics like speed, turning and likewise. It adjusts the
damping level of the shock absorbers accordingly. This system was jointly
developed by Tenneco and Sweden-based Öhlins Racing.
The company is one of the few suppliers to develop an additive and catalyst
coated DPF. This filter effectively prevents particulate matter to escape from the
exhaust system. The gases carrying the particulate matter flows through the
filters’ substrate wall and the particulate matter is arrested and collected in the
filter. This requires the filter to be replaced once in an interval of 150,000 to
225,000 km.
In order to differentiate vehicles, the company involves itself in acoustical
engineering to generate the desired engine sound. The company’s sound
engineers identify the “sound character” using a series of tools, and determine its
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Page 26
harmonics and sub harmonics. Using sophisticated predictive tools and virtual
designs, the company develops solutions to meet with customers’ expectations.
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Chapter 10 Prospects
After the company’s spin-off in 1999, Tenneco has increased its annual sales by
nearly $1bn. The company's growth is propelled by its sound engineering
capabilities in suspension components, systems and advanced diesel
technologies. The ratio of diesel passenger vehicles for new cars in Europe is
expected to rise to 59% by 2009. Thus the company foresees a strong market for
its DPF components and estimates the product’s demand to touch approximately
3m units in 2007 and more than 8m units in 2012. The company also aims to
triple its share for ride control products like shock absorbers, struts, suspension
modules and systems by 2007.
Tenneco is pursuing its path towards market expansions and debt reductions.
Thus, it plans to capitalise on the high-growth markets by expanding its business
in regions like Eastern Europe and China. The legislative regulation on safety
and emissions proves to be a vital prospect for the company. The new and
existing customers, especially the Korean and Japanese automakers, with a high
growth rate, promise to take Tenneco to greater heights. The company is
focusing to spread out its revenue streams by entering into specialty and
commercial vehicle markets. The company is also on the look out for
opportunities to add value to its business through acquisitions. This can be
illustrated by its recent acquisition of Gabilan Manufacturing, an exhaust systems
producer for Harley-Davidson Motorcycles, valued at $10m. This not only
generated sales of about $38m, but also strengthened Tenneco’s technological
front.
In a favourable development, Tenneco announced in May 2005 that it was
awarded new contracts from leading OEMs to supply its advanced ride control
and emission products. The five new contracts that the company signed were
estimated at over $400m (annualised), and are set to be launched in the latter
half of 2006 and 2007. Combining the new contracts with recently signed ones
(that is, before the announcement of new contracts in May 2005), the company’s
estimated annualised revenue amounts to $800m. These contracts underline the
company’s strength as a leading global provider of diesel after treatment
systems. Also, it has increased its electronic ride control business with the
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Page 28
leading European luxury vehicle manufacturers. In addition, the company is
pursuing other business activities like the introduction of its braking products in
both European and the North American AM and air filters in European AM.
Tenneco expects to register OEM sales of $3.5bn in 2006 and $4.5bn in 2007.
Tenneco continues to grow by expanding into new markets, with its rapidly
growing customer base and increasing usage of advanced technologies.
However, the North American automotive industry has been uncertain with light
vehicle production down by 1% during the second quarter of 2006 and expected
to remain flat in 2006. Certain key factors such as rising oil and steel prices,
interest rates and OEMs’ inventory levels, make Tenneco take a cautious stance.
The price rise, especially in steel, is to such an extent that the company is unable
to justify the hike to its customers. The company plans to face these challenges
mainly through diversification of its product portfolio and customer base.
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