A Feeling for the Interiors of American Vehicles

October 2011 As a premium supplier of upholstery materials, Benecke-Kaliko is very much in demand in North America, as customer demand with regard to aesthetics, surface feel, and environmental sustainability continues to grow.

In 60 percent of all cases in the U.S.A., it is women who decide which new family car to buy. And so it was a real stroke of luck when Benecke-Kaliko brought the experienced manager Shawna Soule on board as the head of its NAFTA team. She knows that it is important to women that vehicles are safe, fuel-efficient and easy to operate. But the number one factor that determines their decision to buy – the same as with men – is design. The trend in vehicle interiors is clearly moving towards high-quality materials.

Light, soft and individual

“The auto industry is going in new directions and is trying alternative materials to hard plastic and textile upholstery,” Soule explained. The example that German premium manufacturers are setting provides the model for the change in direction. The materials should be beautiful, pleasant to the touch and lighter. Because any reduction in weight saves fuel, which helps the environment. For this reason Chrysler is using Benecke-Kaliko’s TEPEO® compact foil for the instrument panels and TEPEO 2 ® foam laminate for the door molding on the new Jeep Grand Cherokee. “Vehicle manufacturers like these foils because they can design their own individual grain patterns by determining the grain structures themselves and can choose from a wide range of colors,” the manager pointed out. The foils are up to 50 percent lighter than conventional materials, completely recyclable and therefore especially environmentally friendly.

Environmentally sustainable solutions at an accustomed level of comfort

“Environmental friendliness has become an absolutely critical factor in the purchase of a vehicle. Here in the U.S., sustainably produced goods are also very high on people’s list of priorities,” said Shawna Soule. That has made the American automobile industry rethink their business operations. The so-called “Big Three” – the manufacturers Chrysler, Ford and General Motors – are considered to be the trailblazers of the American automobile industry. Benecke-Kaliko produces right on their front door step. “With our plant in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, we are clearly ahead of the competition,” said the head of NAFTA at Benecke-Kaliko. The location has important benefits for the customer: short transportation distances save money, delivery times are shorter and pollutant emissions are reduced. Beyond that the geographical closeness to original equipment manufacturers enables experts at the location to provide sustained customer service. “Behind our products is an unbelievable amount of collaborative development work with the customer. We adjust all materials exactly according to their individual wishes and needs,” said Shawna Soule.

As beautiful as leather and much more

The high-quality Benova® material has established itself in the U.S. as a real sales hit. General Motors, for example, has decided to use it in its newest line of luxury sedans, the Cadillac CTS. Benecke-Kaliko’s latest development, Acella® Eco Natural, should bring them further success. The material, which is especially kind to the skin as well as being particularly emission and odor free, will ensure excellent air quality in the interiors of American vehicles. “Next year we will begin production of the environmentally friendly and healthy material in Mexico,” Soule said, looking to the future.