UFI
As a global leader in filtration and thermal management, UFI’s oil, cabin, air, fuel, coolant and hydraulic filters have redefined global filtration technology. The company comprises two brands, UFI and Sofima, which manufacture OE and aftermarket filters to suit all automotive needs and requirements. Over the last decade, UFI has doubled its turnover and now operates 55 commercial offices, 19 industrial sites and 3 innovation centres around the world.
The global filtration leader caters for commercial vehicles, race cars, off-road and agricultural vehicles, motorcycles and heavy vehicles, not to mention aeronautics, defence vehicles, marine vehicles and hydraulic applications. It’s no surprise that 6/7 of the world’s largest automotive manufacturers use UFI filters, as do 7/10 F1 teams. Today, UFI boasts 168 expert technicians, who work in the firm’s global Research and Innovation centres. The research-driven company holds 237 patents and reinvests more than 5% of its revenue in research and development.
UFI Timeline
UFI…
1971: was established in Nogarole Rocca, Italy as the Universal Filter Italiana S.p.A. The company’s headquarters remain here to this day.
1981: founded SOFIMA s.r.l to expand into the aftermarket automotive market. At this point, UFI partnered with various Formula 1 teams.
1983: became the first filtration company to establish contact with China. Today, China recognises UFI as ‘a supplier of excellence for the Original Equipment Market in the automotive sector’.
1996: launched SOFIMA Automotive Filter Shanghai Co, becoming the first European filtration firm to expand into the Chinese automotive market.
2001: expanded into America and became a global OEM supplier.
2002: opened its first offices in Korea and its commercial headquarters of UFI Filters Japan in Tokyo.
2006: expanded into India, supplying filters for the local equipment market. UFI also founded its Innovation Centre S.r.l in collaboration with the University of Trento’s physics department.
2007: launched operations facilities in Barcelona, Spain.
2013: opened a European plant in the Czech Republic to assemble OEM fuel, oil and air filters for European automotive manufacturers.
2014: built the All-in-One SOFIMA Filters S.A plant in Tunisia, Africa. The plant expanded UFI’s air and diesel filter production for the European independent spare parts market.
2018: opened its Asia-Pacific Headquarters in Shanghai and its first European thermal management plant in Poland. This doubled UFI’s global production capacity for heat exchangers.
2019: developed its sixth industrial site in China, followed by its 18th global industrial site in India.