Brepafin outlines two-stage acquisition of Vimercati Group to form NextHMI

Brepafin, the holding company controlling the Sila Group, has announced a strategic two-phase plan to acquire the Vimercati Group. According to a report by the Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore, the transaction will commence with a lease arrangement before progressing to a full merger. The combined entity will operate under the new name NextHMI, with the deal anticipated to close in the early months of next year.

The merger is projected to generate revenues exceeding €220m ($253.5m). The new organisation will employ approximately 400 people in Italy and more than 2,100 globally. Brepafin unites shareholders from the Brero and Pavesio families, who hold ownership of Sila Group, while Vimercati has been owned by India’s Viney Corporation since 2015.

Sila Group, founded in Orbassano in 1943, specialises in producing gearshift control systems and flexible cables for the automotive sector. The company maintains operations across Italy, Poland, Brazil, India, and China. Edoardo Pavesio, chairman of Sila Group, described the initiative as part of a broader consolidation trend among Italian automotive components manufacturers aimed at strengthening competitiveness in a challenging market environment.

Vimercati Group, established in 1947, focuses on designing and producing switches and switch assemblies for the automotive industry. The company employs over 800 people across Italy and Romania, with 140 staff based at its Lombardy headquarters in Pero. It also operates an industrial facility in Monterrey, Mexico.

Pavesio noted that the histories of the two companies have run parallel, epitomising the drive to develop and export Italian products and technologies. While the financial terms of the acquisition remain undisclosed, the move signals a significant shift in the Italian automotive supply chain as the parties prepare to integrate their operations under the NextHMI brand.