Delphi's Asia-Pacific sales hit $1.4 billion

Delphi's Asia-Pacific sales hit $1.4 billion

SINGAPORE (AFP): U.S.-based Delphi Automotive Systems, a leading supplier of automotive components, said here Friday it posted a 40 percent increase in sales to US$1.4 billion in the Asia-Pacific region last year.

"The Asia-Pacific region still promises the strongest automotive industry and market growth in the world," Delphi regional president William Ebbert said in a statement issued in Singapore, the company's ASEAN headquarters.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) comprises Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Delphi, headquartered in Pontiac, Michigan, reputedly the world's largest and most diverse supplier of automotive components, posted total worldwide sales of US$27.8 billion in 1996.

The company has 10 manufacturing plants and 18 joint ventures in the Asia-Pacific region.

Delphi said it set up a liaison office in Bangkok last year to support expected growth in Thailand's auto manufacturing industry.

In addition, a new catalytic converter production facility was set up in Shah Alam, south of Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur, while construction began on a new manufacturing plant for wiring systems in South Korea.