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Have you ever given any thought to where the glass roof in your car comes from? For Georges Andary, that’s all he thinks about – apart from finding a break in his busy schedule as CEO and President of Inalfa Roof Systems Group for a round of golf.
As the partner of choice for the world’s major car and truck manufacturers – with a market share of 25 percent – Inalfa designs, develops and manufactures roofing for the automotive industry. Its 800 life patents, including sliding roofs and sun shades, enhance the automotive experience for both drivers and passengers, making it possible for them to enjoy a greater connection with the outside world.
Andary, who has three decades of experience in the automotive industry, joined Inalfa in October 2023. Prior to that he spent six years as General Manager of Bosch Automotive Products in Suzhou, China. Two years into the role at Inalfa, and there’s no doubt he made the right decision.
“Shifting from a big tanker to a speedboat was definitely a good move,” he says with a smile.
The speedboat Andary refers to is Inalfa’s reputation for agility.
“The environment we have today is highly disruptive and always evolving,” he explains.
Aware that many companies in the industry are so-called ‘tankers’, he’s planning to lean into that speed to give Inalfa a leading edge in the rapidly changing automotive market and the disruptions the EV segment has driven in terms of car development, architecture and components required. Those changes include demands for glass designs that are ever increasing in size and weight.
“If you look at the trends as EVs increase in popularity, sunroofs are becoming larger and that’s changing how we design and manufacture them,” he explains.
“We’re now innovating more elements into the sunroof that are related to connectivity, as well as consumer experience in the car.”
Another unexpected issue that has arisen from the emergence of EVs? The noise of the sunroof or sun shade mechanism.
“EV cars are so quiet, so when you open the sunroof or close the sun shade, the sound is a disturbance,” he explains. “This is something that, in internal combustion vehicles, isn’t an issue as the engine is already making noise.”
Noise reduction of its products is one of Andary’s current core areas of focus in the business.
“We’re working on many different solutions, such as optimizing our design, using different materials, different kinds of motors – for instance brushless motors – to follow this trend in the market. looking for a more convenient journey for EV car drivers.”
Also driving change at Inalfa is a desire for more connected vehicles.
“We’re now innovating more elements into the sunroof that are related to connectivity, as well as consumer experience in the car,” he continues.
Some of these advances are thermal control glass, which reduces the temperature inside the car when in sunlight, switchable glass that enables drivers to adjust the haze, as well as in-glass lighting to improve conditions when driving at night.
“These are areas where innovation is set to continue, and this is where I see huge opportunities for Inalfa to grow,” he says.
Although Andary has only been in the company for two years, he feels a deep sense of what his predecessors have achieved since the company’s inception in 1946 as a manufacturer of aluminum household products in the Netherlands. The evolution into automobile sunroofs came in the 1970s, when it started to work with British brands Rover and Jaguar.
“Eighty years of craftsmanship and 50 years of robust growth in the sliding panel is a strong legacy, and it is important to have this foundation to build on in order to cope with the new challenges that we are facing today – and have ahead of us,” Andary acknowledges.
In a space where others look to cost to capture market share, Andary knows this heritage, as well as future-forward innovation, is what sets Inalfa apart.
“We are not a cost leader in the market and we never will be,” he explains. “There will always be other companies operating in low-cost locations, in many cases in a better cost position than we are.”
Inalfa’s differentiating factor is the innovation it brings to the market and superior customer service.
“This is how we are transforming our organization, and it’s my role as a leader to funnel the whole company towards this new path,” he says.
“We don’t innovate to create intellectual property. We innovate in order to find solutions for our customers.”
That means every new product or service is discussed with the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) who will eventually integrate them into their design.
“Everything we do is to meet their needs in the best way we can,” he continues. “This closed loop with our customers is extremely crucial for every idea we are developing. Otherwise, we might have a lovely solution and some brilliant engineering ideas that don’t lead to any business.”
Also crucial in the cycle are key supplier partners who share the capacity to adapt to these new challenges facing the industry, like automotive safety glass manufacturer Fuyao Group.
“Fuyao Group is a global leader in automotive glass manufacturing and a strategic partner of Inalfa to deliver innovative roof systems for leading OEMs worldwide,” Andary explains.
“This partnership is crucial for both companies, as the competitive edge of both Inalfa and Fuyao, respectively advanced roof system solutions and high-tech glass, complement each other to meet evolving demands from global automotive manufacturers.
“Meanwhile, Inalfa likewise partners with key suppliers to elevate the headroom experience of drivers and passengers by developing advanced mechanism performance for extremely flat roofs. Considering the geopolitical tension and recent tariff mayhem, Inalfa also partners with suppliers with a robust international network and ability to scale across regions that aligns with Inalfa’s local sourcing strategy.”
“I’m confident we can manage all the growth that we have ahead of us.”
Such partnerships also support Andary’s clear vision for the road ahead for Inalfa.
“I want to keep Inalfa as one of the biggest players in sunroof systems – that’s our legacy and our home, and it will continue to be our home for the future. But I want to bring this company to a higher level of agility.”
He also knows he has all the tools at hand to ensure success.
“We have the right people on hand, we have a great mindset within the team. I’m confident we can manage all the growth that we have ahead of us,” he says.
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