Johnson Controls renews strategic partnership agreement with Lectra

Lectra will be Johnson Controls' sole supplier for high ply trim fabric cutting

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Feb 05, 2015, 12:05 ET

ATLANTA, Feb. 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Lectra, the world leader in integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using soft materials—fabrics, leather, technical textiles and composite materials—is pleased to announce that Johnson Controls has reaffirmed its confidence in Lectra by extending their global partnership agreement for an additional three years. To preserve and strengthen its position as a market leader, Johnson Controls will acquire all of its high ply fabric cutting equipment and related services exclusively from Lectra.

Johnson Controls is the world's largest complete automotive seating supplier, providing innovative, stylish seating systems to vehicle manufacturers worldwide. The company supplies over 50 million cars every year from 220 production plants worldwide.

During the first 10 years of the agreement, Lectra supported Johnson Controls in transforming their automotive trim cutting rooms worldwide, as they abandoned traditional die presses in favor of more flexible automated cutting. The company now has more than 180 Vector^® solutions installed worldwide. Johnson Controls' adoption of the Vector solution—ideal for high-volume cutting of a wide variety of automotive seat materials—and the resulting increase in production flexibility, throughput and material efficiency has provided the seating supplier with a significant advantage in the highly competitive automotive industry.

The renewal of this agreement is testament to the role of Lectra's customer care, expertise and state-of-the-art technology in enabling a company such as Johnson Controls to improve its operational and manufacturing performance. The continuing collaboration will focus on optimizing the agility of Johnson Controls' production processes, a strategic necessity in the increasingly complex automotive parts supply business.

"At Johnson Controls, we are continually investing in technologies and solutions that will allow us to produce more efficiently, while still providing our customers with consistent quality products. Extending this agreement underscores the value of our relationship with Lectra to help us achieve our strategic objectives," says Willy van-Looy, Global Director, Advanced Manufacturing Engineering, Trim Operations, Johnson Controls.

As part of the new agreement, Johnson Controls will also migrate to the latest generation of Lectra services for all of its Lectra equipment. Working 24 hours a day, the company cannot afford to lose production through unexpected stoppages. Lectra's expertise and technology, combined with its predictive maintenance services, deliver maximum uptime of the cutting solutions, reduce the cost per cut piece and ensure Johnson Controls has the ability to honor their commitment to deliver on time.

"It is an honor for Lectra to have such a long-standing relationship with Johnson Controls, one that is based on a common culture of innovation and best-practice sharing. With Lectra's 40 years' of expertise and experience in developing and implementing the most advanced technology solutions, and Johnson Control's skillful application of them to manufacture their seating systems, we are confident that this will continue to be a rewarding collaboration between our two companies," says Daniel Harari, Lectra CEO.

About Johnson Controls

Johnson Controls is a global diversified technology and industrial leader serving customers in more than 150 countries. The company's 170,000 employees create quality products, services and solutions to optimize energy and operational efficiencies of buildings; lead-acid automotive batteries and advanced batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles; and interior systems for automobiles. Johnson Controls' commitment to sustainability dates back to its roots in 1885, with the invention of the first electric room thermostat. Through its growth strategies and by increasing market share, Johnson Controls is committed to delivering value to shareholders and making its customers successful.

For additional information, please visit http://www.johnsoncontrols.com or follow @johnsoncontrols on Twitter.

About Lectra

Lectra is the world leader in integrated technology solutions that automate, streamline and accelerate product design, development and manufacturing processes for industries using soft materials. Lectra develops the most advanced specialized software and cutting systems and provides associated services to a broad array of markets including fashion (apparel, accessories, footwear), automotive (car seats and interiors, airbags), furniture, as well as a wide variety of other market sectors, such as aeronautical and marine industries, wind power and personal protective equipment. Lectra serves 23,000 customers in more than 100 countries with 1,500 employees and $270 million in 2013 revenues. The company is listed on Euronext.

For more information, please visit www.lectra.com.

® Vector is a registered trademark of Lectra.

Contact – Lectra North America: Jahmin Lee
Email: [email protected]
Tel.: 770.422.8050

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150204/173511

SOURCE Lectra