Inteva Products

The Foundation Era 1872-1924

Although the Inteva Products brand name was introduced to the marketplace in 2008, the company holds an international history tracing back to the establishment of German carriage supplier Traugott Golde in 1872. In the following 30 years, four additional automotive suppliers, Inland Manufacturing Company, Fisher Body Company, Guide Lamp and Arvin Heater Company were born, creating the origins of Inteva’s four major product lines. The first powered airplane flight of American brothers and inventors Orville and Wilbur Wright on December 17, 1903 holds an important position not only in America’s legacy but also in Inteva’s. In 1917, the owners of the Dayton Metal Products Company sought Orville Wright’s guidance in their experiments with airplanes, thus giving birth to the Dayton Wright Airplane Company. Over the next five years the company became a General Motors subsidiary and was renamed “Inland,” a name that would suit any product it manufactured. By the end of this era, the Inland Manufacturing Company had replaced all wood materials with rubber and plastic, giving rise to Inteva’s long-standing history with plastics. Another large supplier, Guide Motor Lamp Manufacturing Company, was formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1906 to repair carriages and acetylene auto lamps. Two years after its foundation, the company produced the first electrical headlamp. Meanwhile, the Fisher Body Company was getting its start in Detroit in 1908 and found quick success in the city, becoming the world’s largest supplier of automotive bodies in the world by 1914. Another native Detroit company, Ternstedt Manufacturing Company, began in 1917 after Alvar K. Ternstedt invented the first practical window regulator. And in 1920, Inteva’s last major predecessor the Arvin Heater Company was formed in Indianapolis, after Richard Hood Arvin invented and began producing a new automobile heater.

The Manufacturing Era 1924-1946

After Inteva’s major predecessors established foundations in the automotive industry, an era of production ensued for the following 20 years. Inteva’s European predecessors gave rise to three of its product lines in this time period. Traugotte Golde had begun supplying sunroof components in 1907 but did not begin the production of automotive sunroofs until 1927. The following year, Wilmot Breeden began to produce door latches in Birmingham, England and soon expanded to St. Dié, France, where it became a designer and supplier of door access systems in Europe. These emerging companies were not only the start of Inteva’s Roof Systems and Closure Systems but also the start of its global presence. In the 1930s, manufacturing companies found success in producing products in mass quantities. Plastic molding became Inland’s most innovative and successful product to date. Due to its durability and variety of colors, the plastic molding material used to produce steering wheels and radio grills was in high demand. During this era the Ternstedt Manufacturing Company had also been consolidated within Fisher Body at GM. By 1940, Inland was producing over 425 products, including the first plastic ice tray.

The Era of Innovation 1946-1975

Regular production of auto parts continued in the United States and innovation became a crucial component to any manufacturing company’s success. Fisher Body, which had long since expanded its products beyond solely creating auto bodies, shipped its first latches in 1946. Inland also began selling new products in 1951 when it shipped its first door trim panels and later instrument panels in 1956. The automotive industry in Europe was not far behind the American companies. In 1950, Traugotte Golde was renamed Golde GmbH and became the first supplier of sliding sunroofs. The world’s first sealed door module was launched in France by the Compagnie Industrielle de Mecanismes SA (CIM) in 1968. Soon, window regulators made the shift from manual to electric operation and CIM became the industry’s leader in the investment of electric motors. In 1973, Golde GmbH began the production of the world’s first tilt and slide module and in the same year was acquired by Rockwell International, a company with a history in the automotive axle business in Detroit.

The Era of Consolidation 1975-2008

Rockwell International’s acquisition of Golde GmbH prompted a trend of consolidation that lasted for the next 33 years. Rockwell International continued its acquisition of European suppliers when it purchased both Wilmot Breeden and CIM in 1979, expanding its international footprint and its investment in door module technology. Inteva’s three major American predecessors took multiple steps before eventually merging to form a single supplier. In 1984, Guide Lamp and Fisher Body, who had both been divisions of General Motors for almost 60 years, merged their light and hardware activities to create the Fisher Guide Division and shipped its first door module in 1987. In the same year, Inland Manufacturing merged with the seating and interiors activities of Fisher Body to form the Inland Division. Five years after these mergers, the two new divisions consolidated once more to create Inland Fisher Guide. In 1991, General Motors consolidated further by organizing all of its separate parts divisions and creating the Automotive Components Group (ACG). Four years later the group was renamed Delphi Automotive Systems and Inland Fisher Guide section became Delphi Interior and Lighting Systems. In the same year, Rockwell International spun off its automotive business and created Meritor Automotive. In 1999 Delphi Automotive Systems became independent from General Motors and as it began to gain business its different systems became more distinctive. In 2001, Delphi introduced the first full modular door system and in 2002 added cockpit modules to its portfolio. Also in 2002, the company was renamed Delphi Corporation. In 2000, Meritor Automotive merged with Arvin Industries to create ArvinMeritor, Inc. Later in 2007, the company formed its Body Systems business unit, which had combined the former doors business units from Wilmot Breeden and CIM with the sunroofs business of Golde GmbH. In 2008, the Renco Group, Inc. acquired Delphi's global Interiors and Closures businesses from Delphi Corporation and renamed the business Inteva Products, LLC.

The Era of Expansion 2008-Present

Inteva established its global headquarters in Troy, Michigan and acquired more than 30 global locations from the acquisition. From its start, the company has produced interior and closure systems for several original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) worldwide. In 2011 Inteva acquired the Body Systems unit of ArvinMeritor which expanded its product lines to include roof systems, motors and electronics. Since its foundation in 2008, Inteva has added new sites, reaching a total of 42 locations, in 18 countries, on 4 continents. It has also opened several new technical centers, testing and measurement labs, and design studios to optimize its capabilities.

Milestones

Products

Inteva's development capabilities include in-house design, rapid prototyping, testing resources and R&D centers on four continents. Inteva's product portfolio is categorized into four product lines:

Awards & Recognitions