Milwaukee, Wisconsin -- Johnson Controls saw to $5.8bn revenue in its Automotive Experience division in the first quarter of 2014, the firm said in a press release.
Johnson Controls added that this is 10% increase compared with the same quarter in 2013.
The firm added that the growth was due to increased automotive production in all of the regions it operates in. The firm put automotive growth at 5% in North America, 2% in Europe, and 14% in China compared with the first quarter of 2013. Seating and interiors sales grew at "double digit rates," said the firm.
It added that revenue in China, recorded through unconsolidated joint ventures, grew 33% compared to the first quarter of 2013. Sales were $1.9bn in China in the first quarter of 2014 and is “primarily related to seating,” said Johnson Controls.
Revenue for the Automotive Experience segment was $232m compared with $101m in the same quarter in 2013. The increase was primarily driven by an approximate doubling of income from seats.
Johnson Controls said in a press release: "The Automotive Experience improvement was a result of the higher global production levels, benefits from cost reduction initiatives and improved operational performance."
Johnson Controls said it is strategically reviewing its overall automotive interiors business.
Overall, the company saw sales of $10.9bn in the first quarter of 2014 up from $10.4bn in the first quarter of 2013. This generated a net profit of $686m in the first quarter of 2014 compared with $549m in the first quarter of 2013. Johnson Controls increased its overall margin from 5.3% in the first quarter of 2013 to in the first quarter of 2014 6.3%.
