NTN-SNR has become the latest company to join the campaign to promote the benefits of workshops fitting original equipment (OE) automotive parts.
The manufacturer of automotive vehicle bearings is the 14th organisation to become a member of the Original Equipment Suppliers Aftermarket Association (OESAA).
OESAA, whose slogan is ‘Our Quality. Your Reputation’, was formed to promote the benefits of fitting OE quality components and to ensure that workshops and distributors can make an informed choice when purchasing spare parts.
Keith Skinner, NTN-SNR Sales Manager, Automotive Aftermarket Division, UK and Ireland, said: “We have seen that the UK automotive aftermarket has become very price driven which has resulted in more low quality parts being promoted with tenuous OE quality claims.
“NTN -SNR is a major supplier of bearings for original fitment to vehicle manufacturers worldwide, and we offer the same product to our aftermarket customers in the UK and Ireland – all produced using the same materials, processes and quality standards.
“By joining OESAA we are able to highlight the benefits of using an OE part compared to that of a lower quality item. We believe in healthy competition and everyone has the right to choose, but we think it has to an informed choice and that is the kind of message we wish to portray.”
OESAA Chairman Nigel Morgan, Managing Director of Schaeffler Automotive Aftermarket (UK) Ltd, owners of the LuK clutch, INA tensioner & FAG wheel bearing OE brands, said: “We are delighted that NTN-SNR has become the latest manufacturer to join OESAA. Its decision to become a member will only strengthen our campaign for workshops to recognise the risk of fitting inferior or sub-standard non-tested parts.”
With more than a century of experience, NTN-SNR has concentrated on the design, development and manufacture of bearings. These components, usually unseen, play a fundamental and sometimes vital role. Through its sales network, the company today is present in more than 200 countries, spanning five continents.
NTN-SNR has a strong presence in the OE market and the aftermarket with its VM customer base including Audi, Peugeot, Lotus, Land Rover, Jaguar, Toyota, Mini, Mercedes, Nissan, Honda, Renault, Citroen, Ford, Fiat, Kia, Opel, Porsche, Seat, Smart, Skoda, VW and Alfa Romeo.
The company says that cars can be fitted with between 40 and 90 bearings (depending on the type of the vehicle) and that it offers products for all the following applications: wheels; gearboxes; suspension; drive shafts; clutches; steering columns; engines and accessories.
OESAA has announced it is to have stands at two forthcoming trade events where it will explain to visitors the merits of fitting OE parts.
It is to exhibit examples of its OE parts alongside non-genuine alternative products currently available in the market-place at the Commercial Vehicle Show at Birmingham’s NEC April 29-May 1 at Birmingham’s NEC, and also at MechanEx at Event City, Manchester, on May 20 & 21.
OESAA members say that some aftermarket parts suppliers are claiming to ‘match OE quality’, even though it is clear by physically comparing the components that they don’t.
The group stresses that there are other brands in the market offering quality products, but that its target is to raise the awareness of the need to fit the highest possible quality parts and also of the dangers of supplying and fitting sub-standard components.
It believes the end-user experience is key to this message – namely that a vehicle is more likely to ‘feel the same and drive the same’ if genuine OE parts are fitted.
Plus, the benefit for the installer is the reassurance that the product will fit first time, every time and that they can ‘fit it and forget it’.
Members only use the OESAA logo on products that are fitted as original equipment; they do not use it for non-OE product publicity.
OESAA member companies employ more than 8300 people in the UK and will undertake a combined 10,000 hours of training this year.
More information on OESAA is available at www.oe-suppliers.org