In the global automotive aftermarket, scale has long been shorthand for reach. More countries, more members, more connections have traditionally signaled strength. As markets have matured and supply chains have become more interdependent, another measure has grown in importance. That is: how effecitvely does reach translates into support at the market level?
That question is shaping the next phase at NEXUS Automotive International, and it is being examined from two vantage points. From a global perspective, founding partner and CEO Gaël Escribe sees an organization ready to build on more than a decade of connective work. From North America, founding partner and CFIO Thierry Mugnier is watching how that goal intersects with a market defined by scale, data maturity and deeply rooted distributor relationships. Those perspectives have helped shape a framework that reflects both continuity and evolution. Connectivity remains central, and the organization is reinforcing it with operational capabilities that help members manage market complexity.
NEXUS’s evolution is organized around four pillars: deeper global intermediation; direct transactional activity; a global aftermarket data center; and a more structured investment arm. Rather than operating as discrete initiatives, the organization aligns the pillars to work together. It informs the strategy globally and increasingly shapes it through North American application.
Establishing a Global Foundation Before Moving Faster
When Escribe describes the origins of NEXUS, he returns to a gap he observed more than a decade ago.
“I founded NEXUS 12 years ago with one idea: to create a global community in the automotive aftermarket,” he said. At the time, he explained that the industry’s global conversation still centered on Europe and the U.S., leaving fast-growing regions largely absent. “Those markets were never really invited to any dinner.”
NEXUS responded by prioritizing connection over commerce. By bringing together leading aftermarket family-owned distributors from both established and emerging regions, the organization focused on trust, visibility and shared access. Over time, that approach grew into a network of roughly 4,000 companies worldwide, representing close to €53 billion in member sellout. Today, NEXUS Automotive International represents 8% of the global automotive aftermarket industry.
From Mugnier’s perspective, that same growth eventually revealed something else. Two years ago, internal analysis showed that while nearly 47% of NEXUS’s network size came from North America, only about 15% of purchasing volume with manufacturers originated there.
“That was showing to us two things,” he said. “First, the balance of our manufacturer portfolio was really probably not representative enough of the expectation of North American leaders.” The second, Thierry said, was adding that it also did not fully reflect “change of the car parks and movement in new regions from a manufacturing perspective.
“When we talk North America,” he continued, “the focus is primarily United States and Canada.” In those markets, scale, compliance and service expectations are tightly linked. That reality, he added, requires closer alignment between global connections and local execution.
Escribe described the organization’s current momentum as “finishing the job and finishing the globalization,” with greater emphasis on Asia and North America alongside Europe. From the North American side, Mugnier sees intermediation as most effective when it reflects how distributors and manufacturers operate.
By bringing leadership closer to the market—including the establishment of a second headquarters in Dallas—NEXUS has been able to adapt its intermediation role to better reflect North American expectations without diluting its global reach.
Transactional Activity as a Shared Stabilizer
The second pillar—transactional activity—emerged from experience. Escribe described the launch of DRIVE+, NEXUS’s private-label brand under SmartParts as a response to an aging global car parc rather than a shift in competitive posture. “We decided to accelerate on that front,” he said, emphasizing the need to meet demand while avoiding tension with premium suppliers.
The buying group initiative that followed reflects concerns voiced by members across regions, including North America. Escribe noted that many midsize distributors want to remain independent long term. Yet, they face growing economic pressure as supplier terms increasingly reflect scale. By enabling those companies to consolidate volumes while retaining autonomy, NEXUS aims to improve stability rather than restructure ownership.
Mugnier sees that approach aligning closely with North American realities, particularly among family-owned distributors navigating margin pressure and working capital constraints.
Data as a Common Language
The third pillar—data—is where the interaction between global ambition and North American realities becomes most visible. Escribe outlined an ambition to build “the largest data center for the automotive aftermarket globally,” drawing from approximately 150 touchpoints across the network.
The goal, he said, is to improve relevance. Inventory planning, procurement decisions and service levels are still too often based on partial views of the market. By aggregating broader visibility, NEXUS believes members can make more informed decisions without undermining existing relationships. From Mugnier’s vantage point, North America offers a clear reference.
“North American groups are far more advanced in term of data collections; in term of data mindsets,” he said, pointing to centralized terms and service optimization. That experience is informing how NEXUS approaches data elsewhere.
“Data is not for NEXUS a topic on price,” Mugnier added. “It’s more a topic on volume, supply chain, and manufacturing plans.” He noted that is particularly true in regions dominated by family-owned businesses where stability matters as much as growth. NEXUS started investing in Data segment for the industry eight years ago with the incorporation of Marketparts.com. That site is saw significant growth and adoption in 2025, according to NEXUS. Marketparts.com plans to go live in the North American market in 2026.
Investment as Continuity Across Regions
The fourth pillar—innovative investment—extends the framework beyond current market cycles. Through its Mobilion fund, NEXUS has screened roughly 1,000 startups over five years. It invests selectively in technologies that support aftermarket professionalism. Escribe framed the effort as participation rather than disruption.
“Why would we leave the future of the automotive aftermarket to companies that are not born in this ecosystem?” he questioned.
Mugnier noted that the next phase of the fund will place greater emphasis on North America, both as a source of startups and as a testing environment. While not every investment succeeds, he said, the collective learning strengthens the ecosystem and helps members prepare for long-term change.
One strategy, Two Vantage Points
Taken together, the four pillars describe an organization layering capability onto connection. Intermediation remains foundational. Transactional activity supports stability. Data provides shared perspective. Investment sustains continuity. What distinguishes NEXUS’s current phase is not a change in direction, but a closer alignment between global intent and local reality.
North America plays a central role not because it replaces other regions, but because its scale and maturity provide an environment for refining how a global aftermarket organization supports its members’ growth and success.
As Escribe noted, “The leg that we are building at the moment in North America is the priority of 2026.” Through Mugnier’s lens, that priority is focused on learning and evolving. The aim is to ensure that global relationships continue to translate into practical, locally relevant support as the aftermarket grow more complex.
Post time: Feb-05-2026
