Belgian polyurethane foam producer Recticel (B-1200 Brussels; www.recticel.com) is looking for a partner and will approach “various potential investors” in the coming months in order to strengthen its position in automotive interior trim. The company, which has been producing car interior trim since 1994 based on its PU product developed in-house, said automotive OEMs are increasingly seeking complete components rather than just dashboard skins or panels.

The company is investigating “all the best possible solutions” to provide complete components to its customers, which include Mercedes, BMW, General Motors and Volkswagen, through the development of a partnership. The company presently operates eleven production plants – seven in Europe, three in the US and one in Japan – and has several licensing agreements.