Wulf Gaertner sells IMC to boost Meyle’s US market share

German aftermarket supplier Wulf Gaertner AG, parent company of Meyle, has announced it has parted ways with its American subsidiary IMC.

The US based IMC has been acquired by US aftermarket heavyweight Autozone Inc, in a deal that has been undisclosed, with Wulf Gaertner AG claiming this decision is seen as the next logical step for the company.

The sale sees Autozone Inc take control of IMC’s headquarters in Los Angeles and 17 other offices across the USA, and this has now allowed Wulf Gaertner to increase its influence by focusing solely on supplying Meyle parts directly to the US market.

Wulf Gaertner himself set up IMC, as a classic exporter with exclusive contracts for the aftermarket, and his American subsidiary was tasked with supplying brand names, mainly for European marques, to garages.

Since then the group has established itself as a manufacturer, coined with the phrase ‘the ones with the better parts’, so the deal is expected to bring large market share increases for both Meyle and Meyle-HD brands.

Autozone a heavyweight in the Central American aftermarket, has already posted sales results totalling $9.5 billion USD for 2014, and it has more than 5000 locations across the USA and Mexico.