Tenneco

Tenneco, Inc.
Company type	Private
Industry	Automotive components manufacturing
Predecessor	Tennessee Gas Transmission Company, Tenneco Automotive
Founded	1966
Headquarters	Northville Charter Township, Michigan, United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Jim Voss (CEO), Jeff Stafeil (CFO), Ed Yocum (SVP and General Counsel)
Products	Ride control systems, emission control solutions, elastomers, powertrain parts, suspension components, brake pads
Number of employees	71,000
Parent	Apollo Global Management

Tenneco, Inc.—initially known as Tennessee Gas Transmission Company and later as Tenneco Automotive—is a prominent American manufacturer of original equipment and aftermarket automotive components, with a specialization in ride control and emissions technologies. As a Fortune 500 firm, Tenneco was listed on the New York Stock Exchange from November 1999 until its privatization following acquisition by Apollo Global Management in November 2022. The company’s main offices are located in Northville Charter Township, Michigan.

Leading the organization are CEO Jim Voss, CFO Jeff Stafeil, and Senior Vice President and General Counsel Ed Yocum. Tenneco’s extensive product range includes ride control systems, emission control solutions, elastomers, powertrain parts, suspension components, and brake pads. Its operations are divided into four core segments: Clean Air, DRiV, Performance Solutions, and Powertrain.

Employing roughly 71,000 people worldwide, the company generates annual revenues near $18.9 billion and serves diverse sectors within the automotive industry globally. Under Apollo Global Management’s ownership, Tenneco is positioned to pursue strategic expansion via acquisitions and enhanced operational performance.

History

Tracing its roots to the Chicago Corporation founded around 1930, Tenneco’s origins also include the 1940 establishment of Tennessee Gas Transmission Company as a separate enterprise.

Natural gas

During the Second World War, rising industrial demands in Appalachia led to fuel shortages. The Chicago Corporation obtained authorization from the Federal Power Commission to construct a pipeline stretching from Texas to Appalachia. This infrastructure eventually became the largest natural gas pipeline system in the United States. In 1996, El Paso Corporation acquired these pipelines, which are currently operated by Kinder Morgan.

Diversification

In the 1950s, Tenneco broadened its scope through acquisitions of oil firms such as Sterling Oil, Del-Key Petroleum, and Bay Petroleum. The Tennessee division had earlier acquired Tennessee Gas Transmission Company in 1943 and developed a 1,265-mile pipeline connecting Texas to West Virginia; this network later expanded to over 3,840 miles reaching New York and New Jersey.

The year 1966 marked the formal incorporation of Tennessee Gas as Tenneco, Inc., signaling a strategic move toward diversification. In 1967, Tenneco purchased Walker, Inc., a producer of universal-fit exhaust mufflers, and invested eight years in developing an economical universal-fit catalytic converter. By the late 1970s, through Houston Oil & Minerals Corporation, Tenneco had also ventured into gold mining. The company operated numerous gasoline stations until these were either closed or rebranded by the mid-1990s.

During the 1970s, Tenneco gained majority control of J.I. Case through Kern County Land Company and acquired UK-based David Brown Tractors in 1972, which was subsequently merged with Case. In 1984, it obtained select assets from International Harvester’s agricultural division to establish Case International (later known as Case IH). The acquisition of Steiger Tractor in 1986 further strengthened its agricultural equipment offerings.

Tenneco’s corporate strategy involved acquiring underperforming companies across various industries with an aim to transform them into profitable enterprises. This tactic yielded success with Newport News Shipbuilding but encountered difficulties within its tractor businesses due to economic downturns. By 1988, facing daily losses of $2 million and pressure from financial institutions, Tenneco divested its oil exploration operations for $7.3 billion.

Starting in 1994, Tenneco began withdrawing from agriculture by selling a 35% stake in Case Corporation; this divestiture was completed by 1996. Case was subsequently purchased by Fiat in 1999 and merged with New Holland Agriculture to create CNH Global.

Consolidation

Tenneco Inc. began as a conglomerate encompassing six distinct industries: shipbuilding, packaging, agricultural and construction machinery, gas transmission, automotive, and chemicals. In 1991, the company separated its automotive division along with packaging, energy, natural gas, and shipbuilding sectors. From 1994 to 1996, Tenneco divested all operations except for automotive and packaging through a combination of public offerings, sales, spin-offs, and mergers. By 1999, the packaging segment was spun off and rebranded as Packaging Corporation of America and Pactiv Corporation.

During the 1960s, Tenneco Automotive broadened its footprint in Europe by acquiring multiple firms: a manufacturing plant in Viernheim, Germany (1969), Swedish company Starla (1974), French Bellanger based in Laval, UK-based Harmo Industries (1976), Danish Lydex (1978), among others. On October 28, 2005, the automotive division adopted the name Tenneco Inc.

Federal-Mogul and Öhlins acquisitions

On October 1, 2018, Tenneco finalized the purchase of Federal-Mogul, a leading global supplier serving both original equipment manufacturers and aftermarket customers. The next month, it secured a controlling interest in Öhlins for $160 million. In February 2019, Tenneco announced plans to spin off its automotive aftermarket suspension business into DRiV Incorporated. Later, in October 2024, Tenneco agreed to divest Öhlins to Brembo for $405 million.

Acquisition by Apollo Global Management

On February 23, 2022, Tenneco entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Apollo Global Management in a deal valued at $7.1 billion. This transaction was finalized in November 2022.

Operations

Tenneco maintains 93 manufacturing sites spread across 26 countries on six continents with key hubs in the Americas, Europe, India, and Asia. Its North American presence includes facilities throughout numerous U.S. states and Ontario, Canada. European operations extend across Belgium, Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, and Portugal. The company's headquarters are situated in Northville, Michigan. Asian plants operate in India, China, Singapore, and Japan; Africa is represented by a facility located in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

The company’s brand portfolio features notable names such as:

Axios
Champion
Clevite Elastomers
DynoMax
Federal-Mogul
Ferodo
Fel-Pro
Fonos
Fric-Rot
Kinetic Suspension Technology
Monroe Shocks and Struts
MOOG
National Oil Seals
Rancho
Sealed Power
Thrush
Wagner Electric
Walker Exhaust

Öhlins was previously part of Tenneco’s lineup before its sale to Brembo in January 2025.

Tenneco serves more than 500 aftermarket clients—including retailers and wholesalers—and supplies over 25 original equipment manufacturers such as Audi, BMW, Caterpillar, Fiat, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Jaguar Land Rover, Mahindra & Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz Group, Nissan, Porsche, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Renault, Royal Enfield, SAIC Motor, Škoda, Stellantis, Suzuki, Tata Motors, Toyota, TVS Motors, Volkswagen Group, Volvo Cars as well as E-Z-GO and CLUB CAR.

Controversy

Throughout the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Tenneco faced criticism for maintaining its presence in the Russian market, in contrast to numerous Western firms that withdrew. According to research conducted by Yale University on April 28, 2022, Tenneco was classified within the "Digging In" category, signifying resistance to calls for exiting or scaling back operations in Russia.

United States

Arkansas

Paragould – Manufactures shock absorbers and struts. The facility is scheduled for closure by April 30, 2025.

Indiana

Angola – Produces elastomeric products such as heavy-duty and automotive bushings along with assemblies.
Elkhart – Specializes in exhaust component manufacturing; notably, it is the sole plant fully owned by Tenneco.
Ligonier – Provides complete exhaust systems for Ford Motor Company, Chrysler, and Honda. Houses an on-site tubemill that converts steel coil into pipes.

Michigan

Litchfield – Manufactures full exhaust systems and operates an internal tubemill.
Marshall – Supplies comprehensive exhaust systems to Ford Motor Company, Chrysler, and General Motors. Equipped with a tubemill and high-speed muffler assembly lines.
Monroe Charter Township – Functions as the North American business unit headquarters, employing approximately 500 staff members across design, engineering, sales, and marketing departments.

Missouri

Kansas City – Produces complete exhaust systems for clients including Ford Motor Company and General Motors.

Nebraska

Seward – Manufactures full exhaust systems serving customers such as CAT, Chrysler, General Motors, John Deere, and Harley-Davidson. Features a tubemill facility on site.

Ohio

Milan – Specializes in suspension bushings, cab mounts, steering bushings, and exhaust isolators.
Napoleon – Produces anti-vibration bushings and suspension link components.

Tennessee

Smithville – Engaged in automotive parts manufacturing.

Virginia

Harrisonburg – Focused on aftermarket exhaust product production.

International

Argentina

Rosario – Monroe Fric Rot: shock absorber manufacturing.
Buenos Aires – Walker: production of mufflers, catalysts, and exhaust systems.

Australia

Edinburgh Park, Adelaide – Exhaust system manufacturing.
Monroe facility at Clovelly Park, Adelaide – Shock absorbers and struts production.
Walker plant at O'Sullivan Beach, Adelaide – Emission control components.
Monroe Springs unit in Sydney – Manufactures coil and leaf springs.

Belgium

Sint-Truiden – Serves as EU headquarters for Ride Control division; hosts METC design and development center; recognized as the largest European ride control manufacturing site producing shock absorbers, powdered metal parts, and press components.

Brazil

Cotia, São Paulo (Axios) – Engine mounts, shock absorber bushings, and dampers production.
Moji-Mirim, São Paulo (Monroe, Walker) – Manufacturing of exhaust systems and shock absorbers.
Três Corações, Minas Gerais (Federal-Mogul) – Production of combustion engine valves.
Santo André, São Paulo (Federal-Mogul) – Combustion engine valve manufacturing.
Araras, São Paulo (Federal-Mogul) – Produces pistons and camshafts.
Manaus, Amazonas (Federal-Mogul) – Facility operations.

Canada

Cambridge, Ontario – Manufactures exhaust systems and components with an internal tubing mill.

China

Suzhou – Production of elastomer-based products.

Czech Republic

Hodkovice nad Mohelkou – Shock absorber and exhaust system manufacturing.

Germany

Edenkoben – Exhaust system production facility.

Hungary

Kecskemét – Manufactures exhaust systems.

India

Bawal – Struts, shock absorbers, and front fork production.
Pune – Mufflers, catalytic converters, and complete exhaust system manufacturing.
Hosur – Production of struts, shock absorbers, and front forks.
Facilities in both Pithampur and Chennai focus on catalytic converter exhaust systems.

Mexico

Locations in Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes and Puebla, Puebla produce exhaust systems.
Facility in Celaya, Guanajuato specializes in shock absorbers (struts).
Plant in Reynosa, Tamaulipas manufactures bushings, bonded products, control arm links, and engine mounts.

Poland

Plant in Rybnik focuses on emission control engineering and production.
Shock absorber manufacturing site at Gliwice, complemented by an Engineering Centre near Katowice.
Facility located in Stanowice.

Portugal

Plant at Palmela operates a just-in-time system for exhaust assembly dedicated to VW Autoeuropa.

Spain

Facilities at Ermua produce shock absorbers, elastomers, and complete exhaust systems.
Additional operations located in Valencia.

South Africa

Manufacturing site atPort Elizabeth produces Monroe brand shock absorbers.

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