World-renowned as an ignition, sensor and technical ceramics specialist, the Group rebrand reflects the journey which the company is currently on and will come into effect at the beginning of the company’s next fiscal year on 01 April 2023.

Ever since its founding in 1936, the company has been synonymous with spark plugs and today enjoys the position of global leader in this market. However, the internal combustion engine (ICE)-related business comprises just one part of NGK SPARK PLUG, with the company also having achieved significant success in areas such as sensors and technical ceramics.

With the on-going transformation of the automotive industry, the NGK SPARK PLUG 2030 Long-Term Management Plan, ‘NITTOKU BX’, which was unveiled in 2020, set out the company’s future path, focusing on the successful portfolio transformation towards environmentally sustainable business fields. These are Mobility, Medical, Environment & Energy and Communications.

Considering the company’s sustainable business objectives, as well as the forecasted shift away from ICE powertrains, the name ‘NGK SPARK PLUG’ no longer accurately describes the company’s future direction as a whole. Indeed, particularly in Europe and the US, the current name is strongly associated with the ICE business segment, which can create an impression that overlooks the positive contribution that the company makes to the environment – especially with its various ranges of sensors, its technical ceramics business and its many new fields of activities.

The Group’s new English company name – ‘Niterra’ – is a coined word, which combines the Latin words ‘niteo’ meaning ‘shine’ and ‘terra/earth’. It expresses the Group’s desire to be a company that not only contributes to a sustainable society, but also one that makes the earth shine: a goal formulated in the company’s 2040 Vision.

While ‘Niterra’ will become the Group’s overall name, the iconic brands – NGK and NTK – will continue to exist for the company’s respective businesses.

“‘Niterra’ is a key milestone in the transformation which we are undergoing,” says Damien Germès, President & CEO of NGK SPARK PLUG EUROPE GmbH, Regional President EMEA and Corporate Officer of the Global Headquarters in Japan. “In the coming generations, it will be necessary to think even more about sustainability and what is good for the earth. With our new name, we have taken one more step on our journey to become a company that not only is successful, but also provides new value to the world.”

About NGK SPARK PLUG:

Worldwide: NGK SPARK PLUG is one of the leading automotive and technical ceramics suppliers, with its corporate headquarters in Nagoya, Japan and 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 customers across the globe. For the Aftermarket, its product portfolio comprises spark plugs, glow plugs, ignition coils, leads & caps under the NGK Ignition Parts brand. The company’s NTK Vehicle Electronics brand offers oxygen sensors (including NOx sensors), exhaust gas temperature sensors (EGTS), exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valves, mass air flow (MAF) and manifold absolute/boost pressure (MAP) sensors as well as engine speed and position sensors. With around 16,100 employees, the company’s automotive and technical ceramics activities generate a total annual turnover of around 3.8 billion Euros worldwide. NGK SPARK PLUG’s EMEA sales represent 27% 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.

 Aftermarket EMEA: NGK SPARK PLUG 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 & 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, leads & caps as well as further vehicle electronic parts. 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 around 900 employees, two production plants in France and South Africa as well as a Technical Centre in Germany.

 For more information please visit: http://www.ngkntk.com/

 For further information please contact:

Annika Lustig, Specialist PR & Communications, Aftermarket EMEA, NGK SPARK PLUG EUROPE GmbH
Harkortstr. 41, 40880 Ratingen, Germany, AG Duesseldorf HRB 43118
Tel: +49 (0)21 02 974 152   E-mail: a_lustig@ngkntk.de