What MotoRad makes

MotoRad designs and manufactures engine thermostats, engine closure caps, and engine-management sensors for OEM and automotive aftermarket customers. Thermostats are the core line, sold in several tiers: standard wax-pellet units, the patented Fail-Safe thermostat that locks into a wide-open position when a failing cooling-system part causes overheating, the UltraStat line with stainless-steel components and the company's BLVT valve technology, an electronically controlled thermostat, and a racing range. The company says it offers thermostat coverage for almost any vehicle and engine on or off the road.

The cap business covers coolant, oil, radiator, and fuel caps, including the patented KeyVent locking fuel cap that relieves tank pressure as it unlocks. Starting in 2018, MotoRad added an engine-management line under the "MotoRad Genuine Parts" label, phased in by category: ignition coils, cam and crank sensors, MAF sensors, and VVT solenoids first, then coolant temperature sensors, knock sensors, and throttle position sensors in 2021. The company positions its products across internal-combustion, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery-electric platforms, framing itself as an advanced thermal-management supplier rather than a single-part maker.

MotoRad sells to a broad B2B base: OEM vehicle manufacturers, Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers, retailers, and warehouse distributors. It reports a global fill-rate average of 97.81 percent and offers category management and technical training alongside the parts.

Ownership and history

MotoRad traces to the mid-1950s, when Joseph Fishman, a die maker in the Israeli industrial sector, set up a tool-and-die shop in Haifa; the company dates its founding to 1958. Fishman moved into engine thermostats as a core product line, established a North American service operation in 1963, and launched the MotoRad trade name in North America in 1982. A German subsidiary followed in 1991, and in 1995 the company began supplying thermostats directly to OEM vehicle manufacturers as a Tier 1 supplier. In 2003 it opened a 250,000-square-foot global headquarters in Misgav, Israel, at the Bar-Lev Industrial Park, consolidating OE and aftermarket R&D and manufacturing on one site.

The company today operates as the MotoRad brand of the Fishman Thermo Technologies group, privately held and with roots in the founding Fishman family. It runs an Americas headquarters in Alpharetta, Georgia, a US distribution and production site in Mt. Carmel, Illinois, a German operation in Erftstadt-Liblar, and a Mexican distribution and production center in Apodaca, Nuevo Leon, opened in 2013 to serve Central and South America. The Israel manufacturing entity operates as M.A.P. MotoRad Automotive Parts Ltd. Day-to-day leadership per the company's own materials: Matt Buchholz, Chief Executive Officer; Ken Kerns, Chief Operating Officer; Patrick Hatfield, Chief Financial Officer; and Ran Benedik, Global VP of Development and Quality, alongside regional general managers for the Americas, LATAM, and EMEA.

Certifications and quality

MotoRad reports a stack of current management-system certifications for its Israel manufacturing entity, M.A.P. MotoRad Automotive Parts Ltd at Bar-Lev Industrial Park: IATF 16949:2016 and ISO 9001:2015, both scoped to the design and manufacture of thermostats and caps, plus ISO 14001:2015 for environmental management and ISO 45001:2018 for occupational health and safety, each scoped to the design and manufacture of thermostats for the automotive industry. The Mexican entities, MotoRad de Mexico and MotoRad Distribution de Mexico, hold ISO 9001:2015 under the Mexican NMX-CC-9001-IMNC-2015 standard. IATF 16949 is the automotive quality-system standard OEM programs expect, and the certificates are posted on the company's own site as claims.

Known customers

MotoRad states it became a Tier 1 OEM supplier in 1995 and sells to OEM vehicle manufacturers, though it does not publicly name specific OEM programs. One aftermarket relationship is documented.

Beyond that, the company describes its customer base as OEMs, Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers, retailers, and warehouse distributors, and cites a 97.81 percent global fill rate as a service benchmark.

Sourcing evidence

MotoRad's largest active US import entity, Motorad Of America in Mt. Carmel, Illinois, has 650 sea shipments on record, with the most recent logged September 24, 2026. The top named foreign shippers are M.A.P. MotoRad Automotive Parts (the company's own Israel manufacturing arm), Coplus, Sundram Fasteners, and Ossca Auto Parts Import and Export. That pattern, finished thermostats and components flowing from the Israel plant and a set of component makers into a US distribution operation, matches a manufacturer running its own global supply chain rather than a pure reseller. Smaller MotoRad-linked import entities also appear in the records, consistent with a multi-entity group.

Coverage caveats: these are US ocean-freight records only. Air, truck, and rail movements, including much of the US-Mexico flow through the Apodaca site, 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. A monthly shipment series was not available for a trend chart. Buyers weighing nearshoring and tariff exposure can read the Israel-to-US and Mexico footprint as a multi-region manufacturing base.

Frequently asked questions

What does MotoRad make?

MotoRad designs and manufactures engine thermostats, engine closure caps (coolant, oil, radiator, and fuel caps), and engine-management sensors such as ignition coils and cam, crank, MAF, coolant temperature, knock, and throttle position sensors. Thermostats are its core line, including the patented Fail-Safe and UltraStat products, spanning internal-combustion, hybrid, and electric-vehicle thermal management.

Who owns MotoRad?

MotoRad is a privately held company and the flagship brand of the Fishman Thermo Technologies group, with roots in the founding Fishman family. Joseph Fishman established the business in Israel and dates it to 1958. The company's Israel manufacturing entity operates as M.A.P. MotoRad Automotive Parts Ltd.

Where is MotoRad headquartered?

MotoRad's global headquarters and main manufacturing plant are at the Bar-Lev Industrial Park in Misgav, Israel, a 250,000-square-foot facility opened in 2003. Its Americas headquarters is in Alpharetta, Georgia, and it runs additional sites in Mt. Carmel, Illinois; Erftstadt-Liblar, Germany; and Apodaca, Mexico.

Who are MotoRad's customers?

MotoRad sells to OEM vehicle manufacturers, Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers, retailers, and warehouse distributors. It states it became a Tier 1 OEM supplier in 1995. In January 2025 it received the "This is How We Advance" supplier award from Advance Auto Parts. Specific OEM program names are not publicly disclosed.

What certifications does MotoRad hold?

MotoRad's Israel manufacturing entity holds IATF 16949:2016 and ISO 9001:2015 (both scoped to the design and manufacture of thermostats and caps), plus ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018. Its Mexican entities hold ISO 9001:2015 under the Mexican NMX-CC-9001 standard. The certificates are posted on the company's own site.

How long has MotoRad been in business?

MotoRad dates its founding to 1958, when Joseph Fishman moved from a Haifa tool-and-die shop into engine thermostats. It launched the MotoRad trade name in North America in 1982 and has operated for more than six decades across Israel, North America, Europe, and Latin America.

Last verified September 28, 2026. Is this your company? Request a correction.