Behr America

Case study by APR América

The Behr Group was a leading supplier of automotive ventilation and air-conditioning systems in Europe. In the U.S. at the time, however, Behr was in competition for media attention with literally hundreds of automotive suppliers and OEMs.

Behr wanted to significantly improve awareness for its products and technology within the North American market and after an extensive agency search chose AutoCom Associations to manage its automotive public relations program in the region.

AutoCom developed a comprehensive communications plan to support Behr America’s planned expansion efforts and the company’s long-term communications objectives. The agency achieved Behr’s public relations objectives through media conferences, Behr management participation in major North American automotive-industry events and regularly scheduled news releases.

Behr’s news conferences, events and press releases generated extensive print, radio and broadcast media coverage. The company later was acquired by MAHLE, another major German automotive supplier, that continued to rely on AutoCom for public relations support.

Behr-Hella Thermocontrol GmbH (BHTC), a joint venture of MAHLE Behr GmbH & Co. KG and Hella KGaA Hueck & Co., is the world leader in air conditioning controls and a specialist for display and touch-control systems (HMI) for the automotive industry. The company’s most important product groups are operating and control units for vehicle air conditioning, center information displays, touch panels, blower controllers, PTC heaters and climate sensors.

The joint venture was founded in 1999 and today has approximately 2,500 employees worldwide. The company has facilities in Lippstadt, Germany (headquarters); Farmington Hills, Michigan; San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; Shanghai, China; Pune, India; Tokyo, Japan; Sofia, Bulgaria, and Tampere, Finland.