Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems Acquires Full Ownership of Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake

Wheel-end business to be incorporated into Bendix as part of focus on traffic safety, advanced driver assistance functions, and automated driving solutions.

Rendering of BSFB’s Bowling Green, KY., facility created in September 2019 when the company broke ground on a $65 million, 130,000-square-foot expansion, now nearing completion.
Rendering of BSFB’s Bowling Green, KY., facility created in September 2019 when the company broke ground on a $65 million, 130,000-square-foot expansion, now nearing completion.
Bendix

Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC, a subsidiary of Knorr-Bremse, announces it has acquired full ownership of Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake LLC (BSFB), the joint venture it formed in 2004 with Dana Incorporated. Dana had previously held a 20% stake in the joint venture. Bendix will immediately incorporate the wheel-end business as one of its five Centers of Competency (CoC) and change the name to Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC effective January 1, 2021. 

On June 30, 2004, Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems and Dana Incorporated launched BSFB. The joint venture combined the air disc brake, slack adjuster, and actuator business units from Bendix with the foundation drum brake business from Dana. Both companies contributed product and technology, as well as manufacturing and distribution leadership.

The Bendix wheel-end CoC will remain based in Elyria, and will continue operating its R&D Center in Kalamazoo, MI., as well as the newly expanded state-of-the-art wheel-end manufacturing plant in Bowling Green, KY.

“This change is a natural next step in our business growth in North America and around the globe. It comes as Knorr-Bremse and our North American-associated company, Bendix, continue to pursue our strategic agenda to further strengthen our position as global market leader in the commercial vehicle wheel-end brake business,” states Dr. Peter Laier, member of the executive board of Knorr-Bremse AG responsible for the Commercial Vehicle Systems division. “Knorr-Bremse and Bendix are uniquely qualified to carry the wheel-end business forward as a part of our focus on enhanced traffic safety on the roads in North America and around the world.”

“Bendix has been a longstanding and outstanding partner in our brake joint venture, and we look forward to continued technical collaboration with them as we support the needs of our mutual customers,” says Ryan Laskey, senior vice president of Dana Commercial Vehicle Drive and Motion Systems.


Latest