Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems signed a definitive agreement to acquire the ProSteering business of JM Engineered Products, a Lebanon, Tenn.-based remanufacturer of all-makes power steering systems for commercial vehicles.

The transaction will incorporate the ProSteering brand’s products, manufacturing operations, and its sales and service operations into Bendix’s steering business and remanufacturing unit. Bendix stated that it is working on a seamless integration process for its customers.

The acquisition complements the existing Bendix lineup of all-makes remanufactured products with a complete aftermarket portfolio of steering gears. Bendix continues to grow its remanufacturing business, and further develop its operations and offerings.

“With the addition of these top-line products to our lineup, the aftermarket channel will be able to turn to Bendix as a one-stop destination for an even wider range of high-quality products,” said Scott Burkhart, Bendix vice president of sales, marketing, and business development. “And customers choosing the steering components – as with our existing products – can count on the backing of Bendix’s long-established post-sales distribution, service, and support network.”

The acquisition is also a forward-looking move for Bendix. Steering technologies are a key technology pathway to highly automated and autonomous vehicles, according to Bendix. The integration, or fusion, of steering control with other systems, such as braking, can play a role in advancing driver assistance technologies.

“Today, we can help drivers mitigate rear-end collisions, rollovers, and loss of control crashes via the braking system,” said Dustin Carpenter, Bendix product line director for Steering. “In the future, we will be able to provide more advanced features, such as lane keeping, sideswipe crash mitigation, autonomous yard maneuvering, and active cruise with braking and steering control as we move forward to even more automated applications. Brakes, steering, and engine control are the keystones of future system fusion to drive further safety on the roads.”