4th October 2007 - Bendix Merges Premium and Global Hydraulic Lines and Expands Global Drum and Rotor Offerings

In order to continue providing their channel partners with a great value proposition, the Bendix brand has made some enhancements to its line up of hard parts. In a category where OE fit, form and function are important but country of origin isn' a concern, the Bendix brand has eliminated its economy line of hydraulics and lowered the price on its premium line in order to provide one complete line of competitively priced hydraulics. The brand has also reduced its premium drum and rotor coverage and expanded its Bendix® Global drum and rotor coverage to better fulfill customer requests and meet the demands in a price-driven category.

"On the hydraulic side, our intent is to provide a single line of high quality hydraulic products and at the same time establish a new pricing structure that will enable our customers to compete more effectively," said Tom Tecklenburg, Bendix brand leader. "This action will allow customers to reduce the number of SKUs they have to stock as well as decrease their inventory investment."

Bendix® Hydraulic products include master cylinders; clutch, slave and wheel cylinders; hoses, cables and steel lines; and hardware. All products are designed to meet OE fit, form and function as well as ASTM and SAE standards.

As for the brand's drum and rotor offering, the Bendix marketing team determined that more than 80 percent of their customers said their premium rotor sales were declining while 100 percent indicated that the economy segment was growing. Therefore, the brand has expanded its Bendix® Global drum and rotor coverage to include approximately 1,600 SKUs and reduced the number of parts available in the premium line to 484 SKUs, which represents 90 percent of unit sales.

"This adjustment is being made because of market price sensitivity and the on-going shift from premium to economy," said Tecklenburg. "It should allow our channel partners to compete more effectively."

Bendix Global drums and rotors provide customers with an affordable, OE equivalent option for today's domestic and import vehicles. They are designed and machined using CAD/CAM to ensure dimensional integrity, providing proper fit and function, and the castings are tested to SAE standards to check for proper strength and hardness, ensuring consistent performance. They come machined, balanced and ready to install.