Passion to Grow

Leading automotive and technical ceramics suppliers in the world believes in pushing the envelope as it strives for excellence

NGK Spark Plug Middle East FZE is a dynamic company that serves more than 70 countries in the Middle East, Africa, CIS and South Asia. Established in the Jebel Ali Freezone, Dubai in 2002 as a 100 per cent subsidiary of NGK Spark Plug Co. Ltd, the company aims to grow even further and strengthen its market leadership in both OE and aftermarket.

Never-Ending Journey

The strong demand for the products sold by NGK Spark Plug Middle East shows how the company fulfils a real consumer need in a region where the internal combustion engine is an essential part of everyday life. In 2020, NGK Spark Plug Middle East extended its product range by including ignition coils in its NGK Ignition Parts portfolio and MAP/MAF sensors as well as engine speed and position sensors in its NTK vehicle electronics portfolio.

These latest additions open up extra OE replacement opportunities for the company’s aftermarket customers. Together with the other NGK and NTK product groups which comprises of spark plugs, glow plugs, cables, oxygen sensors, this expansion of the NGK and NTK portfolio further strengthens the company’s standing as the region’s premier supplier of ignition and sensor technology.

Yoshihiro Goto, Managing Director of NGK Spark Plug Middle East, feels very positive about this expansion of the product portfolio. He said: “The latest portfolio additions have been developed based on the same spirit that has defined the 80-year history and experience of NGK Spark Plug. As a specialist in ignition and sensor technology, the new additions to the range help to keep every engine running smoothly, which is why the aftermarket demand for OE equivalent replacements is growing. We are therefore, especially pleased to launch such a performance and precision-engineered range in our region and offer new business opportunities for wholesalers, distributors and workshops. Of course, we also provide proactive support in the form of technical information, catalogues, clear fitting instructions and offer dedicated technical training to end-customers on request.”

NGK Spark Plug is one of the leading automotive and technical ceramics suppliers in the world. While the corporate headquarters are located in Nagoya, Japan, the company has sales organisations and production facilities all over the world. The automotive side of the company specialises in the fields of ignition and sensor technology, supplying original equipment to customers across the globe. For the aftermarket, its product portfolio comprises spark plugs, glow plugs, ignition coils and leads under the NGK ignition parts brand. Under the brand NTK Vehicle Electronics, the company offers oxygen sensors (including NOx sensors), exhaust gas temperature sensors (EGTS), mass air flow (MAF) and manifold absolute/boost pressure (MAP) sensors as well as engine speed and position sensors. With around 16,400 employees, the company’s automotive and technical ceramics activities generate a total annual turnover of around 3.7 billion euros worldwide. NGK Spark Plug’s EMEA sales represent 32 per cent of this global turnover. NGK Spark Plug operates on all continents and has 60 group companies, 35 production plants, five technical centres and three venture labs.

The company has seen significant growth across the aftermarket since expanding beyond motorcycle parts into the automotive sector in the 1970s. With an outstanding commitment to quality, technology and research and development, the company has become the world’s number one in spark plugs and oxygen sensors, and a leading provider of glow plugs, ignition coils and leads as well as further sensor technology. Organisationally, NGK Spark Plug’s regional headquarters in Ratingen, Germany serves the aftermarket across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In the EMEA region, the company has six regional companies and more than 1,000 employees, as well as two production plants in France and South Africa and a technical centre in Germany.

Future transformation

The company is now entering a period of great change. NGK Spark Plug's 2030 long-term management plan ‘NITTOKU BX’ is an extension of the current business plan. It aims to pave the way for the transformation of its business portfolio, the development of innovative solutions and new businesses. ‘NITTOKU BX’ sets the milestones for the next ten years with the goal to establish strong business pillars in the areas ‘Environment and Energy’, ‘Mobility’, ‘Medical’ and ‘Communication’. These business pillars are in turn based on the UN’s 17 ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGs). As part of this, the company launched a $100 million corporate venture capital fund in April 2021 to pursue new opportunities in these areas.

The NGK Spark Plug vision for 2040, named ‘Beyond ceramics, exceeding imagination’ (BX), gives the company the direction it needs to reinvent itself and to drastically change beyond the current way. This includes promoting cultural reform and diversity within the company. Employees will be empowered to think outside the box and take risks, and a greater emphasis will be placed on increasing the number of women and foreign nationals in leading positions.