Cummins completed its acquistion of Meritor in 2022 and changed the business unit’s name to Cummins-Meritor. This summer Cummins-Meritor will become Cummins Drivetrain and Braking Systems. The Meritor and Euclid aftermarket brands will remain the same.
“We gave up simplicity for specificity, especially for the aftermarket,” explained Alan Rabadi, Cummins aftermarket leader in a statement to the media at Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week 2025. “The reason we were insistent on having ‘braking’ in the name is so people knew we remain committed to the aftermarket braking and related componentry.”
Meritor was founded in 1997 and gained a solid footing in the industry for its brakes, axles, and countless other components. The aftermarket leader explained that part of the reason for the name change was to help make the 10,000 Meritor employees who have been there since truly feel a part of the rebranded company. “How do you feel a part of Cummins if [it] isn’t standing out in your name?” Rabadi asked.
The company also provided an update on their air disc brake production and distribution, which has reached 60% penetration in the market, according to Brittany Soika, director of product management. This will include expanding Cummins’ air disc brake remanufacturing capacity and solutions alongside expanding their work with hydraulic brakes. However, Cummins will also continue to engage with the drum brake market as well, Soika added.
Finally, Cummins also unveiled their partnership with Nexus Automotive International in the form of an agreement on terms and principles to create a global framework for the company.
“What that really means is when we focus on global aftermarket revenue growth, we’re looking at expanding not just North America, but in Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa,” said Terry Livingston, global business development leader for Cummins. “We believe that the platform and the distribution model [Nexus] has will allow us to tap into that revenue growth.”
Alongside the name change, product announcements, and global partnership announcement, the company also made a $50,000 donation to the Wyakin Foundation. The donation was a result of Cummins’ 2024 Shoes for Soldiers program, which ran from November 12 through December 31, 2024, and involved Cummins donating a portion of new and remanufactured Meritor brake shoe sales to the foundation. The partnership between Cummins and Wyakin originated from the former Meritor Inc.’s work with the organization to support military veterans through various initiatives.