HBPO

HBPO (Hella Behr Plastic Omnium) is a German automotive supplier specialising in the development and assembly of complete vehicle front-end modules. It was founded in 2004 as a joint venture between the lighting and electronics specialist Hella, the cooling and climate-control company Behr, and the French exterior-parts supplier Plastic Omnium. The company is headquartered in Lippstadt, Germany, and describes itself as the world's only system integrator in the front-end module field. HBPO's product is the front-end module: the pre-assembled unit that combines the bumper, grille, headlamps, cooling components, crash-management elements and pedestrian-protection features into a single, sequence-synchronised assembly that is delivered directly to the vehicle manufacturer's line. The company operates a global network of sequence-synchronised manufacturing plants in Europe, North America and Asia, employing more than 2,000 people and assembling over 5.4 million vehicle front ends per year according to its own figures. The business grew out of Hella's front-end activities in the 1990s, including the first front end for the Volkswagen Golf III produced from 1992 in Meerane, and the Hella-Behr joint venture founded in 1999. HBPO itself was created in 2004 when Plastic Omnium joined as the third partner, and it opened its new headquarters in Lippstadt in 2006. Since mid-2022 HBPO has been wholly owned by Plastic Omnium, following the sale of the 33.33% stakes previously held by Behr (2018) and Hella (2022).

HBPO's roots lie in Hella's front-end module activities, which began in the early 1990s when Hella became a system partner of the automotive industry in this field. The first front end for the Volkswagen Golf III was produced from 1992 in the factory Hella had newly built in Meerane, Germany — today HBPO Germany GmbH — for Volkswagen Sachsen. In 1997 Hella received its first order with complete responsibility for the development and supplier selection of the individual components for the front-end module of the Škoda Fabia A04. In 1999 the Hella-Behr Fahrzeugsysteme GmbH (HBF) was created as a joint venture between the lighting and electronics expert Hella and the radiator and climate-control company Behr. In the same year the technical support centre Hella-Behr Vehicle Systems Inc. — today HBPO North America Inc. — was founded in Troy, Michigan. HBF became active in the Asian market in 2002 through the joint venture SHB Automotive Module Company Ltd. with the Korean automotive supplier Samlip, beginning a front-end module partnership in Daegu, South Korea. The joint venture HBPO GmbH itself was formed in 2004 with the admission of a third partner, Plastic Omnium Auto Exterior, which produced painted plastic exterior parts, crash management and pedestrian protection. In 2006 HBPO inaugurated its new corporate headquarters in Lippstadt and moved into a modern building. In 2012 a further joint venture, HHBPO, was founded with DRB-HICOM in Malaysia. After Mahle acquired the majority stake in Behr, it was announced in March 2018 that Behr's 33.33% share in HBPO would be sold to Plastic Omnium; the contract was concluded on 1 March 2018. In 2022 the automotive supplier Faurecia acquired the majority of Hella. In August 2022 Faurecia announced that it would also sell the 33.33% stake previously held by Hella in HBPO to Plastic Omnium. For a purchase price of 290 million euros, Plastic Omnium thereby became the sole owner of HBPO. Since mid-2022 HBPO has been 100% owned by Plastic Omnium, a listed French automotive supplier.

• 2022

  Faurecia acquires the majority of Hella and sells Hella's 33.33% stake in HBPO to Plastic Omnium for 290 million euros, making Plastic Omnium sole owner.

• 2018

  Behr's 33.33% stake in HBPO sold to Plastic Omnium; contract concluded on 1 March 2018.

• 2012

  Joint venture HHBPO founded with DRB-HICOM in Malaysia.

• 2006

  HBPO inaugurates its new corporate headquarters in Lippstadt.

• 2004

  HBPO GmbH founded as a joint venture with the admission of third partner Plastic Omnium Auto Exterior.

• 2002

  HBF enters the Asian market via the joint venture SHB Automotive Module Company Ltd. with Korean supplier Samlip in Daegu, South Korea.

• 1999

  Hella-Behr Fahrzeugsysteme GmbH (HBF) founded as a joint venture; Hella-Behr Vehicle Systems Inc. (today HBPO North America Inc.) established in Troy, Michigan.

• 1997

  Hella receives its first order with complete responsibility for development and supplier selection for the Škoda Fabia A04 front-end module.

• 1992

  First front end for the Volkswagen Golf III produced in Hella's new Meerane factory (today HBPO Germany GmbH) for Volkswagen Sachsen.

World's only system integrator for vehicle front-end modules, delivering sequence-synchronised assemblies to OEM production lines.

• Vehicle front-end modules

  Complete, sequence-synchronised front-end assemblies combining bumper, grille, lighting, cooling, crash management and pedestrian protection.

1. 1HBPO – Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2HBPO – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org