Oct 1 2013
Exova Group, the global testing, calibration and advisory services provider, announces that it has acquired Michigan-based Defiance Testing & Engineering Services, one of America’s leading automotive transportation testing specialists, from its current owner Ashok Leyland.
The move will add five specialist testing facilities and 75 personnel to Exova’s existing network of over 3,500 experts, and makes the company one of the leading providers of transportation testing services in North America.
Defiance provides testing and engineering services to manufacturers and leading suppliers in the passenger car, light truck, bus and military vehicle sectors. Its range of capabilities includes component and system testing, system simulation, engine performance and full vehicle structural testing.
Following the acquisition, with seven facilities in Troy, Westland and Warren, Michigan and Mississauga in Canada, Exova has a distinctive breadth of capabilities to support customers in the R&D and manufacturing cluster around Detroit and elsewhere in North America.
Demand for transportation testing services is predicted to grow strongly in the coming years, driven by shorter product life cycles, the need for greater vehicle efficiency and the increasing use of new technology, materials and production processes.
Ian El-Mokadem, Chief Executive Officer of Exova, commented: “Defiance is an excellent addition to the range of technically demanding services that Exova provides to manufacturers of vehicles, components, engines and lubricants. In Defiance we saw a team committed to a level of quality and innovation to match our own, ensuring our customers in America and around the world continue to benefit from our trusted service.
“By bringing the Defiance team together with our transportation experts in Warren, Michigan and Mississauga, Canada we are now well placed to extend our range of capabilities and the number of customers we can support. I am delighted to welcome the new team to Exova.
“This move highlights our intention to further grow our global footprint through strategic acquisitions both in transportation and the many other customer sectors that we serve from our facilities in 22 countries across the globe”.
Formed in 1976, Defiance has grown to be one of the largest independent testing companies in the automotive transportation market. It supports over 180 customers, and is recognized as a preferred preferred supplier to the world’s leading automotive manufacturers and Tier 1&2 suppliers.
About Exova:
Exova is one of the world’s largest dedicated testing groups, trusted by organizations to test and advise on the safety, quality and performance of their products and operations.
Headquartered in Edinburgh, UK, Exova operates 111 permanent facilities in 22 countries and employs more than 3,500 people throughout Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Asia/Asia Pacific.
Exova’s capabilities help to extend asset life, bring predictability to applications, and shorten the time to market for customers’ products, processes and materials.
With over 90 years’ experience, Exova specializes in testing across a number of key sectors from food and pharmaceuticals to aerospace, transportation, oil and gas, fire, engineering and construction.