AP Exhaust acquires Ga. company
By Steve Herring
Published in News on February 5, 2012 1:50 AM
AP Exhaust Technologies has acquired the assets of Georgia-based ANSA Automotive Parts Distributors Inc. and folded them into its Goldsboro operation. The Georgia plant has been closed.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. All work will move to Goldsboro, but no new jobs are expected to be added.
Founded in 1927, AP Exhaust is an industry leader in exhaust and emissions products -- mufflers, exhaust pipes, catalytic converters and components. It also manufactures a complete line of original replacement and performance exhaust and emissions products for automotive, light truck, heavy-duty, agricultural and industrial markets.
ANSA manufactures original equipment replacement direct fit exhaust systems for import vehicles under the ANSA brand and diesel light truck performance exhaust systems under the Silverline brand.
The company will operate as a separate division within the AP group, with ANSA and Silverline brands retaining their own identities covering the original equipment replacement import, exotic import, diesel, and performance lines, said Gary Nix, director of marketing for AP.
All of the distribution, though, will be done out of AP's existing distribution center in Goldsboro.
"Our recent acquisition of ANSA aligns well with our strategy of expanding our product range and distribution reach within the automotive aftermarket," said Vange Proimos, AP president and CEO. "Specifically, ANSA helps us expand our coverage of import vehicles and adds new customers to our strong base of customers served today. Further, ANSA's Silverline brand broadens our offering of performance exhaust systems.
He said they are especially excited about the opportunity to further penetrate the import-specialist market, which includes not only such vehicles as Hondas and Toyotas, but also BMWs, Mercedes and Ferraris.
"There is quite an assortment of products that they have that go outside the normal product range that we offer here at AP. It allows us to obviously engage with those customers in that new distribution channel for us where we can sell them the ANSA products and also introduce them to the AP products that we manufacture here," Proimos said. "Where the future benefit comes, relative to the Goldsboro facility, will be we have great plans and intentions to significantly grow that segment of this company that we bought.
"We will definitely benefit from that down the road, I think, from the standpoint of how much busier our distribution center and our factory as well."