Friction One Acquires Mexican Brake Pad Base, Projected To Add 1 Billion Yuan in Output Value
On May 13, at the Shazui Plant of Friction One Brake Technology (Xiantao) Co., Ltd., 50 containers of raw materials for automotive brake pads and discs were being prepared for shipment to Juárez, Mexico. Two days earlier, Friction One signed a contract with Duraflame, the pioneer and international leader in the braking industry, officially acquiring its brake pad production base in Juárez.
Juárez, a key city on the northern border of Mexico, is across the river from El Paso, USA. Under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), Mexican automotive parts enjoy zero tariffs in the U.S. market. "Setting up a factory at the doorstep of the U.S. will further consolidate our position in the global braking industry chain," said Zhang Zewei, head of Friction One. The acquisition followed a year-long bidding competition with multiple domestic and international giants. In the future, the Xiantao plant will be responsible for producing core components, while the Mexican plant will handle final assembly, with products sold globally.
Founded in 2004, Friction One specializes in R&D, production, and sales of high-end passenger car brake pads and discs. With three factories in Xiantao, it achieved an output value of nearly 1.5 billion yuan in 2024. Initially, over 95% of its products were exported to the North American market. In 2018, complicated international trade situations "awakened" Zhang Zewei, who had been thriving in the North American market. That year, Friction One began implementing a global strategy-expanding into markets worldwide and securing orders globally.
To expand into international markets, superior products are the best "passport." Friction One introduced advanced domestic and international equipment, employed expert academicians as consultants, and established a provincial-level technology center, a post-doctoral research station, and a provincial post-doctoral innovation practice base to advance toward high-tech and high-end manufacturing. The R&D team has overcome a series of technical challenges, launching products such as high-end ceramic brake pads and copper-free eco-friendly nano-friction new materials.
Supported by the municipal party committee and government, Friction One has accelerated its intelligent and digital transformation. Its three factories have introduced world-leading industrial robots to achieve fully automated processes and created "dark factories" that operate uninterruptedly. It also collaborates with universities like Huazhong University of Science and Technology on R&D.
On April 30, at the annual meeting and supplier exhibition of a U.S. automotive parts group, Zhang Zewei and his team received an Outstanding Partnership Award. Currently, Friction One has established cooperative relationships with dozens of global renowned automotive brands. The European market accounts for 40% of its export volume, the U.S. market remains stable at 30%, and markets in South America, Asia, and Africa are gradually expanding. In recent days, clients from the U.S. and Europe have visited one after another to tour production lines and finalize orders.
After signing contracts in the U.S. on the 12th, Zhang Zewei rushed back to Xiantao to select and form a new team at the Xiantao plant, which will soon depart for the Mexican plant to initiate operations.
In the first four months of this year, Friction One achieved an output value of 650 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 38%. Zhang Zewei stated that with the full capacity of the Mexican plant and the coordinated efforts of domestic and international bases, the company is expected to add 1 billion yuan in output value this year, with the annual total output value (expected to) exceed 2.5 billion yuan.
