is a

public company A public company is a company whose ownership is organized via shares of share capital, stock which are intended to be freely traded on a stock exchange or in over-the-counter (finance), over-the-counter markets. A public (publicly traded) co ...

established in 1936 and based in

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...

, Japan. Formerly known as NGK Spark Plug Co. Ltd., the company’s automotive business (with its brands NGK Ignition Parts and NTK Vehicle Electronics) revolves around the manufacturing and the sale of

spark plug A spark plug (sometimes, in British English, a sparking plug, and, colloquially, a plug) is a device for delivering electric current from an ignition system to the combustion chamber of a spark-ignition engine to ignite the compressed fuel/air ...

s and related products for

internal combustion engine An internal combustion engine (ICE or IC engine) is a heat engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer (usually air) in a combustion chamber that is an integral part of the working fluid flow circuit. In an internal comb ...

s, as well as vehicle electronics and

ceramic A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcela ...

s for a wide range of applications in the automotive industry and beyond. 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 its 2040 Vision. As of April 2024, the company employs around 15,900 people and the company’s automotive and technical ceramics activities generate a total annual turnover of around 4.45 billion euros worldwide. It operates a network of 61 consolidated subsidiaries, 24 manufacturing and sales organisations, four Technical Centres and three Venture Labs worldwide. In 2021, Niterra moved its global headquarters to the N-Forest Building located at its Komaki Plant in Japan.

Operations

United States

Established in 1966, Niterra North America, Inc. (formerly NGK SPARK PLUGS (USA)) was founded as a

subsidiary A subsidiary, subsidiary company, or daughter company is a company (law), company completely or partially owned or controlled by another company, called the parent company or holding company, which has legal and financial control over the subsidia ...

of Niterra Co., Ltd. (formerly NGK SPARK PLUG Co., Ltd.), of Japan. Its corporate headquarters was first located in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

and then moved to its current location in

Wixom, Michigan Wixom ( ) is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. A northwestern suburb of Detroit, Wixom is located roughly from downtown Detroit. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 17,193. The city was home to the now-demoli ...

. The company produces both spark plugs and oxygen sensors in

Sissonville, West Virginia Sissonville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States, along the Pocatalico River. The population was 4,084 at the 2020 census (slightly up from 4,028 at the 2010 census). Sissonville is located within ...

Europe

Niterra established its first European subsidiary, NGK SPARK PLUG (U.K.) Ltd. in 1975. In 1979, its second European subsidiary, NGK SPARK PLUG DEUTSCHLAND GmbH, was founded in Germany. Ten years later, it was renamed NGK SPARK PLUG EUROPE GmbH when it took charge of operations in Europe. In 2017, its remit further expanded across the

EMEA Europe, the Middle East and Africa, commonly known by its acronym EMEA among the North American business spheres, is a geographical region used by institutions, governments and global spheres of marketing, media and business when referring to t ...

region. In April 2023, the English-language name of the company was renamed Niterra. Niterra EMEA has been run by Damien Germès, President & CEO of Niterra EMEA GmbH, Regional President EMEA and Corporate Officer of the Global Headquarters in Japan, since April 2019 and it employs approximately 770 people in the EMEA region. Niterra EMEA has six regional companies and a production plant in South Africa. Its EMEA sales accounted for 24% of the Group’s global turnover in 2023. In its plant in South Africa, 22 million spark plugs are produced annually. The European division has been operating a dedicated R&D unit since 1990. As well as designing and testing new prototype automotive products, the unit develops technologies to combat issues such as vehicle exhaust emissions. It also provides technical support to car manufacturers in the EMEA region. In 2017, the company opened a new European Regional Distribution Centre in

Duisburg Duisburg (; , ) is a city in the Ruhr metropolitan area of the western States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Lying on the confluence of the Rhine (Lower Rhine) and the Ruhr (river), Ruhr rivers in the center of the Rhine-Ruh ...

, Germany. It covers 21,000 m² of shelf space, has a team of around 100 employees and supplies customers in 44 European countries. In 2018, the company became a shareholder of the automotive Aftermarket data firm TecAlliance. In May 2024, Niterra moved its EMEA Regional Headquarters (RHQ) within the city of Ratingen to Balcke-Dürr-Allee 6, which is situated in the newly redeveloped Schwarzbach Quarter. The move is in response to the company’s sustainability goals and a decision to offer hybrid working patterns to its employees.

Products

Niterra supplies ignition and vehicle electronics products for 4-wheel, 2-wheel, ATV/SSV, snowmobile, agriculture, gardening, marine and industry applications. In the Aftermarket, these products are supplied to parts wholesalers and distributors. The company’s ignition product range includes

glow plugs In a diesel engine, a glow plug (also spelled glowplug) is a heating device used to aid starting of the engine in cold weather. This device is a pencil-shaped piece of metal with an electric heating element at the tip. A glowplug system consis ...

ignition coil An ignition coil is used in the ignition system of a spark-ignition engine to transform the battery voltage to the much higher voltages required to operate the spark plug(s). The spark plugs then use this burst of high-voltage electricity to ig ...

s and ignition leads & caps, which are supplied under the NGK Ignition Parts brand. Niterra’s range of vehicle electronics includes

oxygen sensor An oxygen sensor is an electronic component that detects the concentration of oxygen molecules in the air or a gas matrix such as in a combustion engine exhaust gas. For automotive applications, an oxygen sensor is referred to as a lambda senso ...

s, EGTS,

MAP A map is a symbolic depiction of interrelationships, commonly spatial, between things within a space. A map may be annotated with text and graphics. Like any graphic, a map may be fixed to paper or other durable media, or may be displayed on ...

/ MAF sensors, engine speed & position sensors, EGR valves and exhaust gas & differential pressure sensors (EDPS), all supplied under the NTK Vehicle Electronics brand. Additionally, the company’s Technical Ceramics business unit produces

semiconductor A semiconductor is a material with electrical conductivity between that of a conductor and an insulator. Its conductivity can be modified by adding impurities (" doping") to its crystal structure. When two regions with different doping level ...

products, fine ceramics and products for the medical industry under NTK Technical Ceramics.

Future

Since 2018, Niterra has created three ‘Venture Labs’ – innovation hubs designed to prepare the company for the future. They focus on three areas: Smart Health, Smart Mobility and Environment & Energy and are located in

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

, Japan;

Silicon Valley Silicon Valley is a region in Northern California that is a global center for high technology and innovation. Located in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, it corresponds roughly to the geographical area of the Santa Clara Valley ...

, USA; and Berlin, Germany. With the goal of achieving

carbon neutrality Global net-zero emissions is reached when greenhouse gas emissions and removals due to human activities are in balance. It is often called simply net zero. ''Emissions'' can refer to all greenhouse gases or only carbon dioxide (). Reaching net ze ...

by 2050, Niterra has established ‘Eco Vision 2030’. Based on the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

’ ‘

Sustainable Development Goals The ''2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development'', adopted by all United Nations (UN) members in 2015, created 17 world Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The aim of these global goals is "peace and prosperity for people and the planet" – wh ...

’, this vision sets the milestones for the company until the end of the 2020s and the following ten years leading up to 2040. Currently, the company is transforming its organisation and business portfolio in a more sustainability-driven direction. Four business fields have been identified for this purpose: Mobility, Medical, Environment & Energy and Communications. As part of this transformation, the company launched a $100 million Corporate Venture Capital Fund in April 2021 to pursue new opportunities in these areas. Additionally, the company is expanding into new business fields through mergers and acquisitions of enterprises e.g., in the medical field, as well as start-ups, which contribute to this aim with additional digital automotive services.

Motorsports involvement

Niterra is also a supplier of the Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 team. Niterra was the exclusive spark plug supplier for the

IndyCar Series The IndyCar Series, officially known as the NTT IndyCar Series for sponsorship reasons, is the highest class of American open-wheel car racing in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices of various sanctioning bodies sinc ...

from 2007 to 2011. Since 2012, the company has only supplied Honda-powered

teams. Furthermore, Niterra supports a couple of teams in racing categories such as

MotoGP Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the highest class of motorcycle road racing events held on Road racing, road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held sin ...

Moto2 Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the highest class of motorcycle road racing events held on Road racing, road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held sin ...

Moto3 Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the highest class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start ...

, the

World Rally Championship The World Rally Championship (abbreviated as WRC) is an international rallying series owned and governed by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, FIA. Inaugurated in 1973, it is the oldest FIA world championship after Formula One. E ...

, the

Motocross World Championship The FIM Motocross World Championship is the premier championship of motocross racing, organized by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), divided into two distinct classes: MXGP and MX2. Race duration is 30 minutes plus two laps ...

, the

FIM Trial World Championship The FIM Trial World Championship and FIM X-Trial World Championship are the most prestigious motorcycle trials tournaments of the world, organised by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme. The outdoor championship is held since 1964 and ...

and the

Superbike World Championship Superbike World Championship (also known as WorldSBK, SBK, World Superbike, WSB, or WSBK) is a silhouette road racing series based on heavily modified production sports motorcycles. The championship was founded in . The Superbike World Champion ...

. In 2022, Niterra became the official technical partner of the X-raid motorsport team for the

Dakar Rally The Dakar Rally () or simply "The Dakar" (), formerly known as the Paris–Dakar Rally (), is an annual rally raid organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO). It is an off-road endurance event traversing terrain much tougher than convent ...

References

External links

* {{Authority control Auto parts suppliers of Japan Ceramics manufacturers of Japan Companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Japanese brands Manufacturing companies based in Nagoya Manufacturing companies established in 1936 Multinational companies headquartered in Japan Swiss companies established in 1936

Operations

United States

Europe

Products

Future

Motorsports involvement

See also

References

External links