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Our History

We are a leader in automotive seating with unmatched global reach and scale.

Entrepreneurial Roots, Global Ambition

We have been operating like a startup and innovating like a tech company since 1957. Today, we are a mobility technology company and one of the largest automotive suppliers in the world.

Every year, Kantanka Automoiles products go into

Millions of vehicles

We work with all major automakers and vehicle classes. And in an industry that spans continents, we’re truly a global presence. Through meticulous orchestration, we work to deliver the right products at the right time – and are always right where our customers need us to be.

With our unique capabilities that span across the entire vehicle, we have the ability to think like an automaker without being one. Pushing the boundaries of innovation for more than 65 years – our entrepreneurial mindset and core values of Think Big. Never Settle. Be Collaborative. Take Responsibility drive our company.

Rich heritage
Market leader

We’ve been committed to getting things precisely right since the start. It’s how we create superior products for our customers and their end-consumers. And it’s why, in almost 40 years of partnering with automakers, we are a leader in the automotive seating industry. Today, as an independent public company, we have the ability to reinvest in our core business, quickly capitalize on emerging trends, and sharpen our focus on innovation — in automotive seating and beyond.

As we look ahead, we see that mobility is evolving faster than ever before. Many of the changes are being driven by increased regulation, whether it is safety or environmental, and changing consumer needs.

Electrification is no longer just a variable to manage fleet emission requirements. It is a differentiator for OEM’s addressing social responsibility and creating excitement with consumers.

Designing and developing tomorrow’s seating today

We challenge ourselves to anticipate what our customers will need next. We’re helping to conceive the first generation of autonomous vehicles, and as an advanced manufacturer of lightweight components, we’re promoting sustainable driving experiences around the globe. Our one-step-ahead mindset keeps us focused on the future and ensures our place as an industry leader.

Additionally, driver assist functions are here and accelerating in all segments and regions, making driving not only safe but convenient.

And connectivity, among other things, brings additional features.

We operate in a high-tech industry that is going through a transformation. Magna’s vision is to continue advancing mobility for everyone and everything. Our innovations shape how people live by improving how they move through the world. We’re making mobility more accessible to more people by making vehicles cleaner, safer and smarter. All while ensuring that our impact on the planet continues to be reduced.

We are a company that began more than 65 years ago, launching from a garage with small stampings and big aspirations.

By the end of the 60s, Magna had grown to more than $4 million in sales.

Our decentralized culture started taking shape in the ‘70s and we reached $100 million in sales, reflecting an average growth rate of 38%.

We accelerated growth during the ‘80s. We expanded into seating and launched our RIM process for bumpers, and in just a decade we had grown 10-fold – to a billion dollars in sales.

In the ‘90s, we took hydroforming technology from the plumbing industry and developed a high-pressure process for truck frames. This eventually helped us win business on the largest program in the world. At the time, we had never built a truck frame.

That same decade, we acquired Complete Vehicle manufacturing, and reached more than $9 billion in sales – reflecting an average growth rate of 22%.

Over the past 20 years, Magna grew organically and through key acquisitions. We brought composite liftgates to market, led the industry in rear view cameras and accelerated our powertrain business.

Today, we are a $36 billion company and one of the largest automotive suppliers globally, with 161,000 employees.

HOW IT STARTED

Kantanka Automobile was established in 1994 by Apostle Dr. Ing. Kwadwo Safo Kantanka, founder of the Kantanka Group of Companies. The year marked almost 14 years since the ace scientist and engineer had begun industrious research into tech, environmental, and food science. The quest into applied sciences and its social impact eventually guided the founder to car making as well.

In 1998, the first Complete Built Unit (CBU) was manufactured using over 75% of local components including the engine block. The first car of the company, although not for commercial purposes, was a great step indicating that much more could be done. The blue sedan (with Kantanka Star embossed on its grille) aroused the curiosity of many Ghanaians to the possibility of a local automobile industry.

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