Grammer Automotive Opens Office in Metro Detroit Area

TROY, Mich.--Dec. 1, 2003--Grammer AG - Automotive, a leading supplier of specialty automotive seating systems, has opened a sales and engineering facility in Troy, Michigan, in the greater Detroit area.

"This office will help us expand the flow of information to our customers, the automotive interior systems suppliers, as well as their OEM customers," said Juergen Huertgen, Grammer's vice president of sales and marketing for the Americas. "We can now respond even more rapidly to their people and new product ideas, now that we are closer to their facilities and development process."

The Troy staff will provide sales and marketing, product engineering and program management for Grammer's North American manufacturing locations in Piedmont, S.C., and in Queretaro and Tetla, Mexico.

Grammer recently won a U.S. patent for its mechanism for an integrated child booster seat to protect "tweeners," youngsters who've outgrown infant seats but are too small to properly use the vehicle's rear seat shoulder belt system. The company expects this technology to help automakers meet regulations mandated by "Anton's Law," passed by Congress in December, 2002 to reduce the number of children injured or killed in auto accidents, especially in rollover situations.

Grammer AG is a world leader in the development and manufacture of innovative components and systems for automobile interiors. Wherever people use vehicles, Grammer, based in Amberg, Germany, sets the standards for security, comfort and ergonomics. Automotive is the company's largest division and supplies headrests, armrests, center consoles and integrated child booster seats to vehicle manufacturers and their tier 1 systems suppliers. The company's second division, Seating Systems, provides driver seats for heavy trucks and off-road vehicles (tractors, construction machinery, fork-lifts) as well as passenger seats for trains and buses. Grammer Seating Systems is active both as a first-time supplier and as a retrofitter.

As a global player, the Grammer Group operates with a strong customer focus that includes location of development and production facilities close to clients and relies on an international network of partners. In fiscal 2002, Grammer Group sales were $840 million; North American Automotive sales totaled $120 million. With over 7,000 employees, Grammer and its 22 consolidated companies operate in 13 different countries worldwide.

Additional information is available by e-mail at AutomotiveInfo.Troy@grammer.com.