Johnson Controls Presents to College Presidents at the National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Conference

President Bush Designates September 12-18, 2004 National HBCU Week

MILWAUKEE, Sept. 15 -- Gary Brimmage, vice president and general manager - service, North America, for the Controls Group of Johnson Controls, addressed college presidents and business leaders during the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) conference, in Washington, D.C. A proclamation from President George W. Bush designates September 12 - 18, 2004 as National HBCU Week.

This is the second consecutive year that Johnson Controls has sponsored the event. In addition, the company just announced plans to expand its employment recruiting efforts from five to 14 HBCUs.

Brimmage enlightened the group of HBCU presidents to the company's other commitments toward minority causes. For over 10 years, the company has managed a student-to-career partnership program that targets college campuses with engineering and MBA curriculums to recruit for engineering and sales positions. This fiscal year, 58 percent of the company's students into this program were diverse candidates.

"We hope, through increased recruiting and assistance from groups like HBCU presidents, we can increase our pool of opportunity," said Brimmage. "That is one key strategy to ensure we increase our minority hiring at Johnson Controls."

Other recruiting efforts include participation in the National Black MBA Conference and National Society of Black Engineers Conference. Most recently the company formed partnerships with the National Action Council for Minority Engineers and Advancing Minorities Interest in Engineering to help it identify top-quality minority candidates.

Johnson Controls was named "Corporation of the Year," by the National Minority Supplier Development Council and is a leading contender again this year. The company supports minority youth as a sponsor of the INROADS Scholars program, and annually supports the Trumpet Awards of African American Achievement. These and other local outreach efforts demonstrate commitment to local communities, and assists young students in fulfilling their future goals and aspirations.

The White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities is charged with strengthening the capacity of historically black colleges and universities to provide excellence in education. An executive order signed by President Bush encourages private sector companies to participate in ways that enhance career opportunities and increase the number of HBCU graduates.

Johnson Controls, Inc. is a global market leader in automotive systems and facility management and control. In the automotive market, it is a major supplier of integrated seating and interior systems, and batteries. For non- residential facilities, Johnson Controls provides control systems and services including comfort, energy and security management. Johnson Controls , founded in 1885, has headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Its sales for 2003 totaled $22.6 billion. For more information on Johnson Controls, Inc., visit the company's Web site at http://www.johnsoncontrols.com/ .

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NOTE TO EDITORS: Speech available upon request