What Inalfa Roof Systems makes

Inalfa Roof Systems is a Tier-1 automotive supplier that designs, develops, and manufactures complete roof systems for passenger cars and trucks. As a system integrator, it delivers the full assembly rather than individual parts, combining glass, mechanisms, motors, sensors, and sunblinds into one module the vehicle maker installs as a unit. The company produces roughly six million roof systems a year and holds a global market share of about 25 percent, serving more than 40 vehicle brands worldwide.

The roof range covers several formats. Exterior sliders open by sliding the front panel over the rear panel or the roof skin, in single or double-panel versions. Topsliders are panoramic two-panel systems, available bottom-loaded (installed from inside the vehicle) or top-loaded (bonded to the roof), designed for large sliding openings under demanding vehicle loads. Fixed panoramic panels use the company's glass partnership to supply everything from standard tempered glass to large laminated panels with integrated foil technologies, and Inalfa says it supplies one customer the largest panel on the market at 1.2 square meters. Sunblinds, primarily rollo blinds in a range of fabrics, are offered integrated into a roof or as a standalone product.

Beyond roofs, Inalfa builds a set of adjacent automotive systems: powered tailgate actuators (a strut, motor, and control unit for automatic opening and closing), active rear spoilers that adjust aerodynamics with vehicle speed, and electric side steps that extend when a door opens. The business is built on high-volume production and system integration for OEMs and their tier suppliers, with roughly 10 percent of its workforce in engineering and around 800 life patents on record.

Ownership and history

Inalfa was founded in 1946 in the Netherlands by J.A.M. Burgman. In the post-war economy it made aluminium consumer goods, knitting needles, stair rails, and curtain rods, which is where the name comes from: Inalfa stands for Industry of Aluminum Fabricates. The company later moved to Venray, where its global headquarters still sits, and shifted through photocopiers and automotive parts before turning to roof systems. In 1974 it began supplying sunroofs to Fiat, Saab, and Rover, then expanded to Chrysler, Volvo, and many more. It marked 50 years of sunroofs in September 2024.

Since 2011, Inalfa has been wholly owned by BHAP (Beijing Hainachuan Automotive Parts Co., Ltd.), one of the largest automotive parts suppliers in China. Inalfa operates as an international pillar of BHAP's portfolio while keeping its Netherlands headquarters and a global management team. Georges Andary became President and CEO on October 1, 2023, arriving from Bosch, where he ran Bosch Automotive Products in Suzhou. Jos Sanders serves as Chief Sales Officer after more than three decades at Inalfa, and Stefan Josten is Chief Technology Officer.

Locations

Inalfa runs 16 locations worldwide across Europe, North America, and Asia, including five engineering offices. Its global headquarters is in Venray, Netherlands, and its North America headquarters is in Auburn Hills, Michigan, which is also its US importer of record. European manufacturing includes plants in Krakovany, Slovakia (operating since 2010, roughly 600 employees) and Wrzesnia, Poland; in September 2026 the company opened a 10 million euro product development center at CTPark Trnava, Slovakia, staffed by about 100 engineers. North American production runs through Acworth, Georgia (the Cherokee I and II plants) and Irapuato, Mexico. In Asia, Inalfa operates a Shanghai regional headquarters and plant plus additional plants across China, a plant in Hwaseong-si, South Korea, and operations in Yokohama, Japan.

Financial performance

Inalfa is a private company owned by BHAP and does not publish a standalone balance sheet. The figure it publishes itself is group turnover of 1.4 billion euros, alongside about 5,000 employees, roughly six million roof systems produced per year, and an annual research and development spend the company states at 55 million euros. These are the company's own published figures, reported here as facts rather than modeled estimates. A modeled point-estimate revenue circulating in data brokers is much lower and is not used, because it conflicts with the group's reported turnover.

Certifications and quality

Inalfa operates to IATF 16949:2016, the automotive quality-management standard. Its own Supplier Quality Manual states that its quality strategy is in line with IATF 16949:2016 and that it audits processes to VDA 6.3, and it requires the same standard of its own suppliers. IATF 16949 certification is a practical precondition for supplying Mercedes-Benz and the other OEM programs Inalfa serves. The company also reports certified environmental and social management systems, an EcoVadis Bronze Medal awarded in April 2026 (placing it in the top 35 percent of assessed companies), and a Science-Based Targets initiative validation in September 2026. These quality and sustainability positions are reported as the company states them.

Known customers

Inalfa serves more than 40 vehicle brands and, like most Tier-1 suppliers, does not publish a full current customer list. The strongest documented current program is public:

Beyond these, the customs record places Inalfa's supply base alongside programs served by Volvo Car USA (through a shared component supplier), context about its suppliers rather than a claim about its full customer roster.

Sourcing evidence

Inalfa's US import record reads like a roof-system assembler's, not a reseller's: 5,680 US sea shipments since 2015, averaging about 42 TEU per month, with the most recent shipment on September 17, 2026. The inbound mix is roof-system components, sunshades and sunblinds, electric motors and actuators, rubber and plastic parts, and aluminum rails, which are the pieces that go into a finished roof module built in North America. The top suppliers on record:

Seven top suppliers shown. By HS chapter, the mix leads with automotive parts and accessories (chapter 87, including 8708 vehicle parts and 8708.22 windscreens and windows), electric motors and control boards (chapter 85), plastics (chapter 39), and aluminum articles (chapter 76). By origin, Asia accounts for about three quarters of shipments (China 2,677, Taiwan 807, South Korea 541, Japan 223) and Europe for about a fifth (Germany 680, Poland 217, Italy 205), a footprint relevant to buyers weighing nearshoring and tariff exposure.

Coverage caveats: these are US ocean-freight records only. Air, truck, and rail movements do not appear; some records name freight intermediaries rather than manufacturers; and product categories come from declared manifest codes, which are noisy. Absence of a record is not evidence of absence.

Frequently asked questions

What does Inalfa Roof Systems make?

Inalfa Roof Systems designs and manufactures complete automotive roof systems: exterior sliders, panoramic topsliders, fixed panoramic glass panels, and sunblinds, plus adjacent products including tailgate actuators, active rear spoilers, and electric side steps. It is a system integrator that supplies the full roof module to vehicle makers, producing about six million roof systems a year.

Who owns Inalfa Roof Systems?

Inalfa has been wholly owned by BHAP (Beijing Hainachuan Automotive Parts Co., Ltd.), one of the largest automotive parts suppliers in China, since 2011. It keeps its global headquarters in Venray, Netherlands, and a global management team led by CEO Georges Andary.

Where is Inalfa Roof Systems headquartered?

Inalfa's global headquarters is in Venray, Netherlands, at De Amfoor 2. Its North America headquarters is in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The company runs 16 locations worldwide across Europe, North America, and Asia, including manufacturing plants in Slovakia, Poland, Georgia, Mexico, China, and South Korea.

How big is Inalfa Roof Systems?

Inalfa reports group turnover of 1.4 billion euros and about 5,000 employees, with roughly 10 percent in engineering. It holds a global market share of around 25 percent in automotive roof systems, produces about six million roof systems a year, and holds over 800 life patents.

Who are Inalfa Roof Systems' customers?

Inalfa serves more than 40 vehicle brands and does not publish a full customer list. Its strongest documented current program is a panoramic sunroof with integrated lighting for the Mercedes VAN.EA (VLE), which entered production at its Wrzesnia plant in Poland in 2026. Its earliest sunroof customers, from 1974, were Fiat, Saab, and Rover.

What certifications does Inalfa Roof Systems hold?

Inalfa operates to IATF 16949:2016, the automotive quality-management standard, per its own quality documentation, and requires the same of its suppliers. It reports certified environmental and social management systems, an EcoVadis Bronze Medal (2026), and a validated Science-Based Targets initiative goal (2026).

Last verified September 27, 2026. Is this your company? Request a correction.