Brake manufacturer Brembo is expanding its influence into the suspension market.
On Friday, Italian company Brembo announced it had agreed to buy out Swedish suspension maker Ohlins Racing for $405 million, giving it a much wider reach in both original equipment manufacturing and the aftermarket. Executive Matteo Tiraboshi said of the purchase, “With this addition, we take another step forward in our strategy to provide integrated intelligent solutions to our customers, leveraging synergies across key technologies in the vehicle’s corner.”
Translated: Brembo’s latest acquisition — the largest in its 63-year history — will give the company a larger stake in performance components that make their way into a range of vehicles, from sports cars to off-roaders and pretty much everything in between. Brembo will buy out Ohlins from Apollo Global Management-backed Tenneco, a conglomerate that owns several other automotive equipment companies including Rancho off-road shocks.
To raise the capital for this purchase, Brembo, through the Italian Bombassei family as majority stakeholders, raised $280 million through the sale of its 5.6% stake in tire manufacturer Pirelli earlier this month.
Stockholm-based Ohlins was founded in 1976 and builds a host of suspension components including shock aborbers, steering dampers and front forks, and is a high-profile supplier for both the Formula 1 and MotoGP racing series. As of 2024, it has roughly 500 employees across two manufacturing facilities: One in Sweden in and the other in Thailand. The company also has several testing facilities throughout major markets including Europe and the U.S.
“As we join forces with Brembo, we are excited to unlock new growth opportunities and leverage our respective strengths and assets to drive innovation and deliver even greater value to our customers and employees,” said Ohlins Racing CEO Tom Wittenschlaeger.
Pending regulatory approval, Brembo aims to close the deal to purchase Ohlins racing in early 2025.
