About HARMAN
HARMAN Announces US $500M in Branded Audio and Infotainment Awards in China and India
April 23, 2012Beijing
International Automotive Exhibition
2012 –
HARMAN, the
premium global audio and infotainment group (NYSE:HAR), announced today that it
has finalized multi-year agreements with three leading
domestic
automakers in China and India to feature the Company’s branded audio and
infotainment systems. The combined business, awarded by Geely
Motors and BAIC Motors of China and Tata Motors of India, represents a record
total of more than US$500M.
“These new
awards further validate our strategic focus and aggressive investments in the
high-growth emerging markets,” said Dinesh C. Paliwal, HARMAN Chairman,
President and CEO. “Over the last four years, we have built three
world class manufacturing plants, four engineering and two R&D centers in
China and India and employ 2000 people there. Chinese and
Indian customers are increasingly becoming more discerning and demand the latest
in technology. With our global
reach, systems and connectivity expertise, and our unparalleled innovation, we
will create cutting edge audio and infotainment experience for every passenger.
We are honored that these prominent Asian automakers have selected HARMAN as a
partner to help meet the growing demands
from their
customers.”
Geely Motors,
a
leading Chinese automaker and parent company of Volvo Cars, has selected
HARMAN to develop an audio and infotainment system for its upcoming luxury
sedan, and an infotainment platform for its new mid-sized luxury SUV.
The new orders extend
an
earlier branded audio award from Geely, and mark the first time HARMAN will
provide infotainment systems to the automaker.
China’s BAIC Motors
has also
tapped HARMAN to
provide a premium JBL branded audio system and infotainment solution for a new
full-sized luxury sedan debuting in 2013. The two companies will
work closely to develop a platform based on HARMAN’s scalable, next-generation
software architecture that is readily adaptable to new future vehicles.
The agreement is HARMAN’s first with BAIC.
Tata Motors,
India’s leading
automotive company and parent company of Jaguar Land
Rover, has selected
HARMAN to develop a branded audio and infotainment strategy for vehicles across
Tata’s new vehicle range. The agreement is HARMAN’s first with
Tata, and marks the first time an Indian automaker will bring premium branded
audio and infotainment systems to the domestic market.
HARMAN is the
leading supplier of advanced connectivity, infotainment, and audio to the global
automakers, including Audi, BMW, Chrysler, FIAT, Ferrari, SGM, Hyundai, Kia,
Lexus, Land Rover, Mercedes Benz, Porsche, Toyota, and Volkswagen.
The new agreements were announced in conjunction with the Beijing Auto
Show, and follows new HARMAN business awards from six different Chinese
automakers in the past year.
HARMAN is
well on-track to
deliver US$1.5B in
revenues by 2015 in the BRIC countries, where sales increased by 32 percent
during the most recent fiscal quarter. The Company’s employment in
China and India has doubled during the past year. The Company has
opened HARMAN Flagship Stores in Shanghai and Beijing to showcase its brands,
and recently opened its newest engineering and manufacturing center in the
Northern Chinese city of Dandong. HARMAN also operates R&D and manufacturing
facilities in Shanghai, Suzhou, Shenzhen, and Bangalore.
HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets — supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 13,400 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported net sales of $4.4 billion for the twelve months ending June 30, 2012. The Company's shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.