TRW Automotive is a worldwide leader in automotive safety, with 63,000 employees in some 200 plants, throughout about 26 countries.

Based in Livonia, Michigan, USA, the company ranks among the ten largest automotive systems and components suppliers, for more than 40 vehicle manufacturers, and 250 different models.

In South America, TRW Automotive produces brake systems, as well as steering systems, suspension, shock absorbers, trays, seat belts, motor valves, fixation elements and electronic components. This range of products places TRW Automotive as the world leader in active and passive safety systems for automotive vehicles, furthermore because it counts on business initiatives, such as Sigma 6, to guarantee deliveries of superior quality products.

Supplying assemblers, the aftermarket, and foreign markets, TRW is present in practically all lines of Brazilian vehicles participating of the most advanced development projects of the car industry.

Leader in the Brazilian market of automotive safety, and working with TRW and Varga brands the company had an exceptional performance in 2004, either in the local market - supplying products for assemblers and to the aftermarket – or in the foreign market. Last year, the company surpassed R$ 1 billion in revenues, growing 26% in relation to 2003.

Headquartered in Limeira (SP), it has 8 factories and 4,3 thousand employees. The company also has service shops, distributed throughout the Brazilian territory, by 61 Varga Serviços franchises.

In relation to motor valves, TRW Automotive was the first company to manufacture a bimetallic valve for automotive and remains the world leader in this technology. TRW Automotive motor valves are manufactured in Santo André and Três Corações plants and attend complex customers’ requirements.

The brake systems and modules produced in the Engenheiro Coelho and Limeira Limeira units outfit most part of South America vehicles of their quality and technology have expanded the business to countries as United States, Canada, England, China, and Mexico.

TRW Automotive steering systems, produced in Limeira and Lavras are present in one of each four vehicles produced in the world, besides manufacturing over 400 different types of components for steering and suspension systems in Brazil.

Bars, terminals, steering arms, pivots and suspension arms are also manufactured for practically all of the Brazilian vehicles.

Worldwide leader in the supply of protection systems to vehicles’ occupants and pioneer in the development and integration of airbags technologies, seat belts, manufactured in Limeira, and impact sensors, TRW Automotive South America manufactures and supplies last generation seat belts to almost all vehicles’ assemblers.

To expand its business and provide greater satisfaction to customers, TRW Automotive implanted a daring project: the result was the joint-ventures S.M. Sistemas Modulares, in Taubaté and enacted in 1996, and ABC Sistemas e Módulos, headquartered in São Paulo and founded in 1998.

Formed by TRW Automotive and Dana, S.M. exclusively supplies suspension modules to Volkswagen AB9 vehicles’ family (Goal, Parati and Saveiro). The delivery system adopted by the company is just-in-time. Presently, S.M. manufactures 1800 modules a day.

ABC Sistemas e Módulos was born by a partnership among TRW Automotive, Dana and Krupp ThyssenKrupp for the exclusive supply of front suspension modules to GM. The plant is a world model in supplying the assembler, recognized by the customer.