Denso expanding heavy-duty aftermarket business

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Automotive parts powerhouse Denso is expanding its presence in the heavy-duty aftermarket, by bolstering its sales staff seven-fold and introducing new products.

The company says it will leverage its automotive distribution channels to bring heavy-duty parts to market reliably and efficiently. Denso made the announcement today during Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week. Joseph Mejaly, senior vice-president of operations, sales, strategic planning and marketing, said Denso is the world’s second largest automotive supplier. In North America, only about 15% of its aftermarket business is focused on the heavy-duty market.

“We are relatively new entrants into heavy-duty,” Mejaly said. “We have a unique opportunity to bring that light-duty mentality and infrastructure to the heavy-duty marketplace.”

Denso announced a partnership with CDTi to bring a new line of PowerEdge replacement diesel particulate filters (DPFs) and diesel oxidation catalysts (DOCs) to market. Mejaly said there’s a limit to the number of times a DPF can be cleaned, so the new line of PowerEdge DPFs and DOCs will offer an alternative to fleets when it comes time to replace OE parts.

CDTi is a California-based aftertreatment manufacturing company. Campbell McConnell of CDTi said the catalyst technology found on today’s DPFs hasn’t changed much since 2007, but CDTi takes advantage of advancements in technology to use fewer precious metals and to design a more modern product.

Mejaly said the initial part numbers will cover about 73% of all trucks on the road manufactured from 2007 to 2013. The CDTi DPFs and DOCs are available now through Denso.

Also new is an expanded commercial and heavy-duty starter and alternator catalog, featuring 951 part numbers, an increase of more than 17%. The catalog is available in print, interactive digital and PDF formats. The online versions can be found at http://densoheavyduty.com/denso-hd-starter-alternator-catalog.

Denso also touted its new line of industrial spark plugs for natural gas engines. Available in three models – Saver, Performer and Double Iridium – the spark plugs extend work life in compression-lean engines and offer greater reliability to withstand high combustion pressures, according to Mejaly.

To support its expanded line of heavy-duty aftermarket parts, Densos is growing its sales team from seven to 35 members.

“We are keenly aware with the advancement of our product lines, we need to make sure our market knows what we have to offer,” Mejaly said. “We are making a complete reinvestment into not only the product line, but also the sales organization.”

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James Menzies is editorial director of Today's Trucking and TruckNews.com. He has been covering the Canadian trucking industry for more than 24 years and holds a CDL. Reach him at james@newcom.ca or follow him on Twitter at @JamesMenzies.


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