- UFI Group joins GAI’s supplier portfolio thanks to its OE pedigree
- The agreement with GROUPAUTO International (GAI) opens up new global growth prospects for the UFI and SOFIMA brands
- Consistent growth is forecast in the next few years
UFI, a global leader in filtration, thermal management and green hydrogen technologies, has joined GROUPAUTO International’s supplier portfolio, signifying the expansion of both its UFI and SOFIMA brands.
A true benchmark in the distribution of Aftermarket components and products for professional repairers, GAI is one of the leading networks in the industry. Headquartered in Levallois-Perret, France, it is present in 118 countries on five continents, where it has 30 regional members, nearly 2,000 distributors, a network of more than 35,000 workshops for passenger car repair, and over 2,500 workshops for truck repair.
With its Original Equipment (OE) pedigree, the UFI Group joins GAI’s portfolio of over 67 suppliers – one of the most prestigious networks for the automotive Aftermarket, which generates sales of over 40 billion euros across the passenger car and heavy-duty sectors.
UFI Group was selected to join GAI because of its many strengths, which include a presence in the OE segment, technological innovations (with over 360 internationally recognised patents), the quality of the UFI and SOFIMA brand distribution network in Europe and further afield, and the potential to develop business on a global scale.
The partnership with GAI is an important move enabling UFI to grow market share and turnover across both the UFI and SOFIMA brands in Europe and beyond, with consistent growth expected in the next few years.
Paolo Cataldi, Aftermarket Business Unit General Manager at UFI, comments: “We are aware of the importance of networks and are extremely proud of this valuable partnership. It constitutes another step in the UFI Group’s organic growth strategy, which has seen us establish partnerships with other international groups since 2014. We want to offer the market our technological strength and logistical flexibility, and we have the added advantage of being an OE supplier to the most important brands in the passenger car and heavy-duty sectors.”
“We are pleased to welcome UFI as a new partner within our supply base,” emphasises GAI President & CEO, Günter Weber, and Director Business Development, Benoît Pradaud. “This is another step towards our continuous goal of expanding our offering to the automotive Aftermarket with high-quality products.”
