---

The Haartz Corp. Names Bianchi Public Relations for Automotive PR

15 March 1999

The Haartz Corp. Names Bianchi Public Relations for Automotive PR

    TROY, Mich., March 15 -- The Haartz Corp. has selected
Bianchi Public Relations, Inc. to assist in its automotive communication
activities during 1999.  The announcement was made by Bill T. Kendrick,
president of The Haartz Corp., and Richard J. Donley, vice president of the
public relations firm.
    Bianchi Public Relations will provide automotive media relations
assistance and other communication services for Haartz.  Public relations
activities will be focused primarily on the company's automotive interior trim
business, which serves major tier-one automotive suppliers such as Johnson
Controls, Lear, Magna, Textron and Visteon.
    Haartz -- a leading manufacturer of engineered coated fabrics and moldable
interior trim materials -- has its corporate headquarters, worldwide
manufacturing and a research and development center in Acton, Mass., as well
as sales offices around the world, including an automotive sales office in
metro Detroit.
    A supplier to the auto industry since 1907, Haartz offers a full portfolio
of automotive applications for interior trim (door panels, instrument panels
and console lids), as well as exterior trim (truck bed tonneau covers and tire
covers) and convertible and sport-utility topping.  The company also supplies
topping fabric for the marine industry and coated materials for industrial
applications.
    Haartz is the world's premier manufacturer of automotive convertible
topping for virtually all U.S. and most European automakers, including Audi,
BMW, DaimlerChrysler, Ford, General Motors, Nissan, Rolls Royce, Toyota and
Volkswagen.
    Ranked among the top 100 global automotive interior suppliers, the
privately owned company had total 1998 sales of nearly $100 million and
employs 340 people.
    Bianchi Public Relations, Inc. -- founded in 1992 and based in Troy, Mich.
-- specializes in public relations services for companies and organizations in
the original equipment automotive supply chain.