Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc. (Cooper Standard), together with its consolidated subsidiaries, manufactures sealing and fluid handling systems (consisting of fuel and brake delivery and fluid transfer systems).
The company’s products are primarily for use in passenger vehicles and light trucks that are manufactured by global automotive original equipment manufacturers (‘OEMs’) and replacement markets. The company conducts substantially all of its activities through its subsidiaries.
The company...
Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc. (Cooper Standard), together with its consolidated subsidiaries, manufactures sealing and fluid handling systems (consisting of fuel and brake delivery and fluid transfer systems).
The company’s products are primarily for use in passenger vehicles and light trucks that are manufactured by global automotive original equipment manufacturers (‘OEMs’) and replacement markets. The company conducts substantially all of its activities through its subsidiaries.
The company is the global producer of sealing systems, the second largest global producer of the types of fuel and brake delivery products that the company manufactures and the third largest global producer of the types of fluid transfer systems that the company manufactures. The company designs and manufactures its products in each major region of the world. The company operates in 75 manufacturing locations and 49 design, engineering, administrative, and logistics locations.
Approximately 86% of the company’s sales in 2024 were to OEMs, including Ford Motor Company (‘Ford’), General Motors Company (‘GM’), Stellantis, Volkswagen Group, Mercedes-Benz, and Renault-Nissan. The company’s other customers include BMW, Jaguar/Land Rover, Hyundai, Toyota, and Rivian. Its OEMs in China include BYD, Geely, and Chery. The remaining 14% of the company’s 2024 sales were primarily to Tier I and Tier II automotive suppliers, non-automotive customers, and replacement market distributors. The company’s products can be found on over 430 nameplates globally.
The company’s organizational structure primarily consists of a global automotive business (‘Automotive’) and the Industrial and Specialty Group (‘ISG’).
Consistent with the company’s strategy to drive future profitable growth, the company has increased and intensified management focus on its two global automotive product line businesses. Beginning with the first quarter of 2024, the company expects to report its financial results in two reportable segments based on product line: Sealing Systems and Fluid Handling Systems.
Cooper Standard signed multiple joint development agreements for its Fortrex chemistry platform throughout 2018 to 2021. In 2021, the company reached a long-term commercial agreement to license its Fortrex technology to NIKE, Inc., with the footwear manufacturer launching the first related mass production programs in 2023. Since its initial launch, NIKE has expanded the adoption of this technology across multiple footwear products.
In 2023, the company finalized the divestiture of its European technical rubber products business and sold the company’s entire controlling equity interest in a joint venture in the Asia Pacific region.
Business Strategy
The company’s Purpose statement - Creating Sustainable Solutions Together - represents its focus on creating solutions for the long-term health of the business as a whole and the sustained value that it works each day to deliver to its stakeholders (customers, investors, employees, suppliers and communities).
The company’s key strategic imperatives are to attain world-class results across all its business allowing it to be the first choice of the stakeholders the company serve; leverage its materials science and product knowledge, innovation and manufacturing expertise across its product groups in the pursuit of organic and inorganic growth; and deliver value to its stakeholders through its environmental, social and governance initiatives to ensure the long-term sustainability of it.
Markets Served
The company’s automotive business is focused on the passenger car and light truck market, up to and including Class 3 full-size, full-frame trucks, better known as the global light vehicle market. This is the company’s largest market and accounts for approximately 95% of its global sales.
Customers
The company is a leading supplier to the following OEMs and is increasing its presence with major OEMs throughout the world.
The company’s other customers include OEMs, such as BMW, Jaguar/Land Rover, Hyundai, Toyota, and Rivian. Its OEMs in China includes BYD, Geely, and Chery.
Products
The company’s product lines include sealing systems and fluid handling systems (consisting of fuel and brake delivery and fluid transfer systems). These products are produced and supplied globally to a broad range of customers in multiple markets. In addition to these product lines, the company sells its core products into other adjacent markets.
Sealing Systems
Sealing systems protect vehicle interiors from weather, dust, and noise intrusion for improved driving experience; provide aesthetic and functional class-A exterior surface treatment. Products include Fortrex materials platform, FlexiCore thermoplastic body seal, dynamic seals, FlushSeal sealing systems, static seals, variable extrusion, encapsulated glass, specialty sealing products, Tex-A-Fib (textured surface with cloth appearance), stainless steel trim, obstacle detection sensor system, and frameless systems.
Fuel & Brake Delivery Systems
Fuel & brake delivery systems sense, deliver, and control fluid and fluid vapors for fuel and brake systems. Products include Chassis and tank fuel lines and bundles (fuel lines, vapor lines and bundles); Direct injection & port fuel rails (fuel rails and fuel charging assemblies); Metallic brake lines and bundles; MagAlloy break tube coating; Quick connects; ArmorTube brake tube coating; Low oligomer multi-layer convoluted tube; Series 300 and S300LT (low temperature) quick connects; Brake jounce lines; and Gen III Posi-Lock quick connects.
Fluid Transfer Systems
Fluid transfer systems sense, deliver, connect and control fluid delivery for optimal thermal management, powertrain & HVAC operation. Products include eCoFlow switch pump, Heater/coolant hoses, Turbo charger hoses, Quick connects (SAE and VDA), Charged air cooler ducts/assemblies, Diesel particulate filter (DPF) lines, Secondary air hoses, Degas tanks and deaerators, Brake and clutch hoses, Charged air cooling (air intake and discharge), Easy-Lock quick connect, Transmission oil cooling hoses, Ergo-Lock VDA quick connect, Multilayer tubing for glycol thermal management, Ergo-Lock + VDA quick connect, PlastiCool 5000 high temperature MLT, PlastiCool 2000 multi-layer tubing for glycol thermal management, and Plastic coolant hub.
Joint Ventures and Strategic Alliances
Joint ventures represent an important part of the company’s business, both operationally and strategically. The company has utilized joint ventures to enter and expand in geographic markets, such as China, India and Thailand, to acquire new customers and to develop new technologies.
The company’s significant unconsolidated joint ventures were Nishikawa Tachaplalert Cooper Ltd.; Polyrub Cooper Standard FTS Private Limited; Nishikawa Cooper LLC; Yantai Leading Solutions Auto Parts Co., Ltd.; and Shenya Sealing (Guangzhou) Company Limited as of December 31, 2024.
Intellectual Property
The company’s patents are grouped into two major categories: (1) specific product invention claims and (2) specific manufacturing processes that are used for producing products. The vast majority of the company’s patents fall within the product invention category.
The company’s trademarks include FlexiCore, eCoFlow, FlushSeal, Gen III Posi-Lock, Easy-Lock, MagAlloy, Ergo-Lock +, PlastiCool, and Fortrex.
The company also has technology sharing and licensing agreements with various third parties, including Nishikawa Rubber Company, one of its joint venture partners in sealing products. It has mutual agreements with Nishikawa Rubber Company for sales, marketing, and engineering services on certain sealing products. Under those agreements, each party pays for services provided by the other and royalties on certain products for which the other party provides design or development services. It also has licensing and joint development agreements for commercial applications of its Fortrex chemistry platform in non-automotive industries. A joint development agreement with Salari Group has been put in place for the collaborative creation of novel dynamic fluid control products and systems.
Competition
The company’s sealing systems products compete with Toyoda Gosei, Henniges, Hutchinson, Standard Profil, HSR&A, SaarGummi, and JianXin, among others.
The company’s fuel and brake delivery products compete with TI Automotive, Sanoh, Martinrea, Maruyasu, and SeAH, among others.
The company’s fluid transfer products compete with Conti-Tech, Hutchinson, Teklas, Tristone, Akwel, and Fränkische, among others.
Research and Development
The company’s engineering, research and development, and program management costs are charged to selling, administration and engineering expenses as incurred and totaled $82,818 for the year ended December 31, 2024.
History
Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc. was founded in 1960. The company was incorporated in 2004 as a Delaware Corporation.