Takata USA has bought out M2K LLC to take full ownership of SynTec Seating Solutions, a spokesman announced this week. The deal was finalized in June, said Larry Bannon, Syntec’s president of new business development.
“The management team of SynTec view this as a very positive situation for us in that we have greater access to resources from Takata both in the engineering perspective, financially and regarding test capability,” Bannon added. “Takata is a $4 billion global company in automotive seat belt, air bag and electronics business. That’s a pretty hefty player.”
Takata USA and M2K LLC had been 50-50 partners in the school bus seating and occupant restraint company. Bannon said Takata’s acquisition will take SynTec “to the next level.”
“We have access to all of Takata’s technical resources, especially expertise in occupant restraint systems in vehicles and electronic safety systems as well as significant vehicle testing capabilities,” he said. “(Takata) provides the technology and SynTec the (school bus) industry knowledge.”
Representatives at M2K LLC could not be reached for comment at the time of this writing.
Not only does Takata manufacture seat belt restraint systems for passenger and commercial vehicles but also military and racing vehicles, the latter including Formula 1, Indy and NASCAR. For school buses, SynTec is touting its new S3C, a three-two flexible seat that can be converted in about two minutes, according to the company, from a regular bench to one equipped with lap-shoulder belts or to an integrated child seat to meet changing school district or state requirements. And, Bannon added, the seat can easily be converted back to a regular bench seat.
The S3C is the first seat in the S3 product line to be released. The company also is manufacturing the S3B lap-belt-ready seat and continues to offer the M2K Lap/Shoulder Seating System and M2K Integrated Child Seating System.
While he could not comment on future endeavors for the SynTec brand under Takata’s full ownership, Bannon did note that Takata is a leader in producing crash-avoidance systems and air bags in addition to occupant protection systems.
Ron Lamparter, the original founder of M2K Seating Systems LLC with Pat Green, said he is now “dabbling” in safety equipment and engineered “systems’ for heavy-duty military vehicles.
“I find that protecting the lives of soldiers riding in military vehicles provides some of the same satisfactions I have enjoyed for so many years protecting the lives of students riding in school buses,” he said, adding that after a 51-year career in the school bus industry, which included founding Transpec Worldwide in 1972 before selling it to Specialty Manufacturing Inc. in 2007, his “blood might be flowing just a little bit yellow.”
M2K LLC acquired Syntec Inc from Japanese firm Tachi-S Engineering in 2009. At that point Takata USA came in as a 50 percent partner and Takata and M2K changed the company name to SynTec Seating Solutions.
