NTN Europe invests and becomes a shock absorber manufacturer

Following the launch of its shock absorber range in December 2023 and its commercial success, NTN Europe is moving up a gear in order to establish itself as a manufacturer in this segment of the independent aftermarket. As a result, on Tuesday 20th May 2025, the equipment manufacturer specialising in suspension systems signed an agreement to acquire a stake in LTM.

At the end of 2023, NTN Europe unveiled its partnership with the Mecatech Group's specialist shock absorber subsidiary, LTM, and launched its range under the SNR brand. A year later, this collaboration has continued to consolidate around the technical development of products and key topics such as data and logistics, culminating in NTN Europe's acquisition of a stake in LTM.

"This acquisition of a 35% stake is a concrete expression of the work we have been doing for nearly 2 years, and of what the LTM and NTN Europe teams experience on a daily basis through their exchanges," explains Christophe Idelon, Vice President Automotive Aftermarket at NTN Europe. "Buoyed by the excellent industrial and commercial dynamic that has emerged from this partnership, we now want to go further and take new steps to develop our joint shock absorber production business. That's why we decided to invest within the Mecatech Group. This position will enable us to strengthen our already close collaboration.

NTN Europe's investment will directly develop LTM's industrial capacities in order to increase production volumes and thus achieve the equipment manufacturer's objective: to enter the shock absorber market as a manufacturer and partner of choice. To achieve this goal, NTN Europe is relying on LTM's undisputed technical know-how and capitalising on its own OE expertise in the field of suspension. As the world's top class market share for both wheel bearings and drive shafts and the European leader in suspension thrust bearings, NTN Europe is fully aware of the constraints imposed by the world's leading car manufacturers with whom it works.

"We are delighted with the outcome of this collaboration, which began more than a year ago. NTN Europe's acquisition of a stake in LTM enhances the company's technical and industrial expertise in the manufacture of shock absorbers. As a world-renowned equipment manufacturer, NTN Europe brings us invaluable OE expertise. Together, we will be able to continue working to develop our production of innovative, high-quality shock absorbers intended mainly for the automotive aftermarket," says Abdessalem Ben Ayed, Chairman and CEO of Mecatech.

The development of this shock absorber business in Tunisia, where LTM's factories are located, will also have positive repercussions on all the equipment manufacturer's activities in Europe and France, where its other product ranges are manufactured and/or stocked. By adding a range of shock absorbers to its catalogue, NTN Europe is now able to offer distributors a global, coherent and more attractive 'corner’ concept" offer to distributors. All of NTN Europe's product families will thus benefit from greater visibility on the market.