The Monroe brand of shocks and struts has made its name through nearly a full century of innovation, premium quality and exceptional application coverage. Now it is reinforcing this strong market position through continuous product and process improvements.
Monroe manufacturer Tenneco Inc. has completed an array of engineering and product management initiatives that have helped enhance the performance and durability of Monroe ride control products used in millions of popular applications. The company has also re-engineered its product management processes to help replacement parts distributors and their customers capture a broader range of emerging service opportunities.
“We have looked at virtually every level of our organization for opportunities to increase the value we deliver to our trade partners and the consumer,” said Mark Christiaanse, director of ride control product management, North American aftermarket, Tenneco. “This project has encompassed everything from product design and material enhancements to the way we leverage our global original equipment expertise to help distributors, jobbers and service providers attract new customers.”
Among the latest engineering enhancements applied to existing Monroe ride control products are:
• Manufacturing powdered metal blend upgrades to increase structural performance;
• Aftermarket-specific bushing design for applications susceptible to excessive suspension loading;
• Optimized rod surface finish to ensure maximum shelf life of Monroe Reflex monotube shocks; and
• Advanced strut base-assembly design for exceptional oil flow, performance and durability.
In addition to making several product design enhancements, Tenneco has established a Global Coverage Team to identify new aftermarket ride control service opportunities based on emerging trends at the OE level. Because Tenneco is a leading global OE manufacturer, the company is often first-to-market with the latest ride control solutions for foreign-nameplate and domestic applications. The Global Coverage Team analyzes new ride control opportunities on an ongoing basis to enable more frequent coverage expansions.
“Our customers rely on Tenneco to help them make the right inventory decisions based on what’s happening in the marketplace,” Christiaanse said. “We have made significant investments in information technology and new processes to provide unique insight into emerging service trends. This means that by depending on Monroe, you can be confident you will have coverage for a broader range of service opportunities in your area.”
For additional information regarding Monroe ride control solutions, please contact your Monroe supplier, visit www.monroe.com, or write to: Monroe Marketing, Tenneco Inc., One International Drive, Monroe, MI 48161.
