Mönchengladbach, Germany / Shenzhen, China, November 21, 2021  

On December 6, 2021, CTI Germany Holding GmbH & Co. KG, a wholly owned subsidiary of Chinese leading TIC service provider Centre Testing International Group Co., Ltd. (CTI) is pleased to announce the completion of acquisition of the German automotive service provider imat-uve GmbH (“imat-uve”). CTI acquired 90 percent of imat-uve GmbHand Hans-Willi Müller, the existing shareholder, holds the remaining 10 percent and will continue to manage the business.

This transaction marks a strategy step for CTI in the automotive testing service segment, strengthening CTI’s position in the automotive industry both domestically and abroad, driving continued growth and ensuring long term job creation.

As a premium service provider in the automotive industry, imat-uve have 30 years of expertise and experience and are well positioned to provide a wide range of services to global automotive brands. imat-uve supports car manufacturers and their suppliers throughout the whole value chain including design, engineering, and testing. Ten years ago, the company began its global expansion by establishing subsidiaries in the USA, South Africa and China. The latest addition to the imat-uve is a sales and logistics base in Queretaro, Mexico. From there, imat-uve manages not only German automotive companies but also international brands and newcomers in the field of mobility.

"The entry of a well-capitalized, listed company like CTI helps us to further expand in global markets and significantly strengthen our market position," says Hans-Willi Müller, Managing Director and shareholder of imat-uve, explaining their decision to merge with CTI. "Especially in the important automotive market such as China and even Asia-Pacific Region, we will gain greater importance and responsiveness with CTI as one of the market-leading service providers in the field of testing." Müller goes on to explain that synergies with CTI will promote rapid and secure growth for the imat-uve. Particular attention would be paid to being able to act sustainably and strategically as a company and to continue to drive digitization plans forward.

Looking forward, imat-uve’s core business principles will be retained while bundling competencies and leveraging performance from CTI, to continue to support and enhance client relationships. imat-uve is dedicated to preserving jobs in Germany and abroad with the goal of both domestic and international expansion.

"imat-uve stands for strong competence, high quality and reliability. Many well-known automotive manufacturers and suppliers worldwide rely on the range of services offered. Based on the solid cooperation foundation, the new partnership establishes an agreement to jointly work together in the development and delivery of the global automotive industrial services. It will help to enhance our brand recognition amongst German automobile customers, build high technical capabilities and unparalleled advantages, and realize our internationalization strategy," comments Richard Shentu, CEO of CTI. "As strategic partners, CTI and imat-uve will be able to strengthen their market positions together and competently accompany the mobility of tomorrow.”

imat-uve  GmbH is an innovative design and engineering company and has established itself internationally as a strategic partner to the textile and automotive industries since its inception (1989). In addition to its German headquarters in Mönchengladbach, the company now has further subsidiaries in China, the USA, Mexico and South Africa, all of which operate in accordance with the high quality requirements of DIN EN ISO 17025, VDA 6.2. and ISO 9001. The services accompany the entire automotive value-added process from the idea to the finished product. This includes the design, development and testing of materials, components and systems. In parallel, market research in the form of customer and respondent surveys ensures that technical requirements and the effect of innovative solutions on consumers are met. Key areas of expertise include material competencies for carrier and surface materials in the automotive interior and their emissions and odor, aging and material properties, and the evaluation of changes brought about by use in the vehicle.

Centre Testing International Co., Ltd. (CTI) is the pioneer and leader in the TIC Industry which provides one-stop solutions on testing, inspection, certification, calibration, audit, training & technical services. CTI is committed to deliver trust between Government, enterprise and customers. The mission “Build Trust for Better Life” is to ensure healthier, safer, environmentally-friendly and higher-quality development. Established in 2003, headquarter in Shenzhen China, CTI is the first listed company in the TIC industry in China (stock code: 300012). With more than 10,000 employees, operating a network of more than 150 laboratories in over 70 cities of 10 countries and regions around the world. The core capabilities and services cover different industries and product categories, including but not limited to: textiles & apparels, footwear, bags & accessories, toys & hardgoods, electronic & electrical appliances, medical care, agriculture and food, cosmetics & daily chemical products, petrochemicals, environment, building materials & construction works, industrial equipment & manufacturing, rail transit, automotive & aviation materials, shipping and e-commerce. CTI is accredited laboratory of the China Compulsory Certification (CCC), the China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment (CNAS) and the China Metrology Accreditation (CMA) in China. Meanwhile, CTI is also the Notify Body (NB) in Europe, national certification company in Singapore, USA, UK, Canada, Norway, Mexico, and Germany. Leveraging worldwide network and authoritative credibility, CTI issues more than 2 million testing and certification reports each year, and serves more than 100,000 global customers.