Magna expands lighting capabilities with new acquisition

Vehicle engineering and contract manufacturing expert Magna is to acquire Wipac Czech s.r.o., an automotive lighting engineering firm located in Ostrava, Czech Republic. The transaction – Magna’s second lighting acquisition in as many years – is expected to close in November and will expand Magna’s engineering capabilities globally. The acquisition will strengthen Magna’s engineering and electronics competencies and its forward lighting engineering capability in Europe while complementing its 2018 acquisition of Olsa S.p.A.

Wipac Czech s.r.o.’s engineering team designs and develops automotive forward lighting, primarily for European exotic and luxury brands. With more than 40 engineers on staff, the company has significant technical competencies having served premium customers including Aston Martin, Bentley, Rolls Royce, McLaren, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Audi, Daimler, BMW and Porsche.

“We see Wipac Czech playing an important role in growing our global lighting business, particularly with forward lighting to European automakers,” said John O’Hara, President of Magna Mechatronics, Mirrors and Lighting. “Lighting represents a strategic growth area for us, due to increasing levels of electronic and sensor integration and the ongoing industry trend to differentiate vehicles through styling.”

With the 2018 acquisition of Olsa S.p.A., a market leader in rear lighting technology, and now Wipac Czech s.r.o., Magna has added to its existing  footprint and has a total of 11 lighting manufacturing facilities and three engineering centres globally. The company has the capability to design, engineer and manufacture advanced forward and rear lighting products in its key auto production regions around the world.