Thule Group supports their commitment to safety and Perfect Fit by investing $2.3 million in improvements to global Thule Test Center™ in Hillerstorp, Sweden

For Immediate Release:

Seymour, Conn., USA

With doubled space, significant investments in new technology and increased capacity, Thule has advanced their safety and fit testing for new and existing products

With the recent expansion of the Thule Test Center™, Thule has created the industry’s largest and most advanced testing center. The Thule Group invested $2.3 million to expand from 6,500 sq ft to 13,000 sq ft. With this expansion, Thule has increased technical testing levels, fit expertise, as well as expanding the testing capabilities for newly launched categories such as strollers and mobile handheld device cases.

This new state of the art facility helps further the brand’s commitment to safety and the Thule Perfect Fit. As the global leader in the carriers & racks category, Thule not only adheres to all global safety standards set forth by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and German Institute for Standardization (DIN), but also goes above and beyond the required criteria. Thule has developed its own “Thule Test Program™” with over 25 custom Thule standards that surpass ISO and DIN standards by a considerable margin. In conjunction with the North American Thule Test Center™, located at their Connecticut, Americas headquarters, the team of product development, design and test engineers subject all Thule products, as well as competitors, to these rigorous tests. They are able to simulate an entire of year of driving on the road, in a single day in the lab. In addition, Thule carrier & rack products are also tested by an impartial external organization at the SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden. At the Institute, Thule carrier & rack products are subjected to the City Crash Test; the most rigorous test within the ISO standard where the test product is subjected to a minimum crash impulse of 8g, simulating a vehicle collision in an urban setting. 

Following in their commitment to safety and security, the Thule Perfect Fit is paramount to ensuring that both the owner of the Thule carrier & rack products, and those driving behind them, are as safe as possible. Thule works directly with automakers in Europe and North America to ensure they are first-to-market with safe and secure fits for their roof rack products. Thule Fit Engineers work through the company partnerships to obtain access to the newest vehicles. Highly specific fit data is captured and recorded using special optical equipment allowing the vehicle geometry to be digitally replicated to within 0.01mm. It is this level of accuracy that allows the Fit Engineers to develop the perfect fit for a vehicle. The data is captured from the vehicle on site and through advanced software they are able to determine the specific fit layout within 24 hours. With the support and increased capacity of the recently expanded Thule Test Center, the Thule Perfect Fit is available faster than any other competitor.

 From the cutting edge technology, to the Thule Fit Engineers and state of the art Thule Test Center™, Thule products are tested beyond global safety standards. The result; the Thule Perfect Fit that allows you to live an active lifestyle safely.

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For more information about Thule, please contact:
Chris Ritchie, PR & Communications Manager

E-mail: chris.ritchie@thule.com
Phone: +1 (617) 435-2014

For more information on Thule products, visit: www.thule.com

For high resolution images and further information, please visit, the Thule Group press room:
http://www.thulegroup.com/press

About Thule
The Thule brand was established in 1942. Under the motto Bring your life, Thule globally offers a wide range of premium products for active people that allow them to bring what they care most for safely, easily and in style.
Thule offers among other things roof racks, bike carriers, roof boxes, computer/camera/sports bags and child related products like child bike seats and multifunctional strollers. The products are sold in more than 136 countries world-wide. 

Thule is the largest brand in the Thule Group.

Read more at www.thulegroup.com