What Tower International does

Tower International was a leading integrated global manufacturer of engineered structural metal components and assemblies, supplying automotive OEMs worldwide from its headquarters in Livonia, Michigan. The company's core product offering centered on high-strength structural components, precision stamping assemblies, and full body-frame structural assemblies engineered to provide lightweighting and structural performance benefits for vehicle durability and safety. Its portfolio spanned four interconnected capabilities: Car Body Structural Components (body-frame assemblies), Power Engineering (design innovation and prototype optimization), Manufacturing (advanced production with custom tool and die development), and Logistics (end-to-end supply chain optimization). Revenue mechanics were anchored in long-cycle Tier-1 supplier contracts with major global automotive manufacturers across both ICE and EV platforms.

Tower International was publicly traded on the NYSE under ticker TOWR until its acquisition by Autokiniton US Holdings, Inc. for $31 per share in cash, completed on September 30, 2019. Autokiniton is a subsidiary of Autokiniton Global Group, LP, a portfolio company of KPS Capital Partners, LP (approximately $5.1 billion in AUM as of June 30, 2019). Following the transaction, Tower ceased to operate as an independent entity; its operations, locations, and capabilities were absorbed into Autokiniton, which now operates 20+ manufacturing and logistics sites across Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Illinois, with the Autokiniton HQ at 17757 Woodland Dr, New Boston, MI. The combined enterprise supports a workforce of 10,000+ associates and serves the world's top automotive OEMs, including recognition via the Ford World Excellence Award in December 2021.

Name

Tower International

Legal name

Tower International, Inc.

Website

https://towerinternational.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Tower International was a global Tier-1 manufacturer of engineered automotive structural metal components and assemblies, producing body-frame structures, precision stampings, and related engineering, manufacturing, and logistics services for the world's leading automotive OEMs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Livonia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Core offering

Tower International was a leading integrated global manufacturer of engineered structural metal components and assemblies for the automotive industry. The company produced full body-frame structural assemblies, high-strength structural components, and precision stamping assemblies, supported by in-house design, prototype, tooling, and logistics capabilities, supplying automotive OEMs with lightweighting and safety-critical vehicle structures.

Product overview

Autokiniton (formerly Tower International) operates as an automotive supplier specializing in high-strength structural components and precision stamping assemblies. The company offers a unified portfolio of four interconnected product lines: Car Body Structural Components (full body-frame assemblies with lightweighting benefits), Power Engineering (design and prototype services), Manufacturing (advanced production with custom tooling), and Logistics (end-to-end supply chain optimization). These offerings are integrated to deliver complete solutions for automotive original equipment manufacturers, supporting vehicle safety and performance from design through delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Car Body Structural Components

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Autokiniton US Holdings, Inc.flagshipOthers · 30 September 2019Autokiniton US Holdings, Inc. completed the acquisition of Tower International, Inc. (NYSE: TOWR) for $31 per share in cash. Tower International was a leading manufacturer of engineered automotive structural metal components and assemblies. Autokiniton is a subsidiary of Autokiniton Global Group, LP, a portfolio company of KPS Capital Partners, LP.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Magna International: One of the world's largest tier-1 automotive suppliers with extensive Body and Chassis structural metal and stamping operations serving global OEMs in similar product categories.
• Martinrea International: Canadian tier-1 supplier of lightweight structures and propulsion systems for the automotive industry, with significant stamping and assembly operations serving North American OEMs.
• Gestamp: Spanish-headquartered specialist in automotive metal components including body-in-white, chassis, and structural parts with comparable lightweighting focus and global OEM relationships.
• Vari-Form: North American specialist in hydroformed and roll-formed structural components for automotive OEMs, with direct overlap in structural metal assemblies for body and chassis applications.
• KIRCHHOFF Automotive: Family-owned German automotive supplier producing metal structural components including body and chassis parts for global OEMs, with comparable stamping and assembly capabilities.
• Metalsa: Mexican-headquartered global manufacturer of automotive structural metal components including frames, side rails, and cross members for light and commercial vehicles.
• Aisin Corporation: Large Japanese tier-1 automotive supplier with body, chassis, and structural component divisions supplying major OEMs worldwide with similar engineered metal products.
• Shiloh Industries: US-based automotive supplier focused on lightweighting solutions using aluminum and steel stampings, body-in-white structures, and engineered metal components for OEM customers.
• Multimatic: Privately held tier-1 automotive supplier specializing in engineered mechanisms, body structures, and chassis components for global OEMs—directly overlapping in structural assemblies.
• Benteler International: Global automotive supplier with a dedicated Steel/Tube division producing chassis and structural components for major OEMs, directly comparable to Tower's body-frame structural work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tower-international

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tower International