Sage Automotive Interiors is a portfolio company of
Asahi Kasei
is a multinational Japanese chemical company. Its main products are chemicals and materials science.
It was founded in May 1931, using the paid in capital of Nobeoka Ammonia Fiber Co., Ltd, a Nobeoka, Miyazaki based producer of ammonia, nit ...
and a global supplier of
technical textile
A technical textile is a textile product manufactured for non-aesthetic purposes, where function is the primary criterion. Technical textiles include textiles for automotive applications, medical textiles (e.g., implants), geotextiles (reinforce ...
s for the
automotive industry
The automotive industry comprises a wide range of companies and organizations involved in the design, development, manufacturing, marketing, and selling of motor vehicles. It is one of the world's largest industries by revenue (from 16 % such ...
. The company develops and produces automotive interior surfaces such as seating, door panels and automobile headliners that are used in cars, trucks, SUVs and minivans.
Sage Automotive Interiors specializes in eco-friendly fabric design, engineering and manufacturing. With corporate headquarters located on the campus of
Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research in
Greenville, South Carolina USA, Sage operates 22 design and support facilities in 18 countries, with plants in North America, Brazil, China, Japan, India, Thailand, Europe and Korea, and employees over 2,000 people.
History
Sage Automotive Interiors was established in 1948 as
Milliken Automotive Division. In the 1970s, the company became the first supplier to develop double-needle bar fabrics, acquiring Chrysler as a new U.S. customer and launching an export business with Japanese automakers Honda and Toyota. In 1984–85, the company began producing fabrics in North America for Honda and Toyota.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Milliken Automotive Division opened two new manufacturing facilities and added Nissan and Hyundai as customers. In 1996, the company opened a facility in Brazil and added Fiat and Volkswagen to its customer list.
Sage Automotive Interiors was officially established in 2009 by former Milliken & Co. executives. Throughout the 2000s, Sage invested in new technology for yarn manufacturing, texturing, knitting, coating and face finishing, and in 2011, invested in weaving technology that allowed Sage to expand into the automotive headliners market. In 2013, Sage established a location in China, acquired a facility in Poland and opened a facility in Mexico. And in 2014, Sage expanded into the premium seating market. In 2018, Sage was acquired by
Asahi Kasei
is a multinational Japanese chemical company. Its main products are chemicals and materials science.
It was founded in May 1931, using the paid in capital of Nobeoka Ammonia Fiber Co., Ltd, a Nobeoka, Miyazaki based producer of ammonia, nit ...
.
[{{Cite web, url=https://www.asahi-kasei.co.jp/asahi/en/news/2018/e180719.html, title=Asahi Kasei to acquire Sage Automotive Interiors {{! Press Releases {{! Asahi Kasei, website=Asahi Kasei Corporation, language=en, access-date=2019-05-23]
References
Automotive companies of the United States