Haartz Ramps Up Production of Door-Trim Material For Ford Taurus and Focus

22 June 1999

    DETROIT, June 21 --  The Haartz Corp. announced today that it
is ramping up production of cover skins for the 2000 model year Ford Taurus
and the all-new Ford Focus.
    Haartz, a tier-two automotive supplier based in Acton, Mass., offers a
broad portfolio of polyvinylchloride (PVC) and thermoplastic olefin (TPO)
interior-trim materials for molded instrument panels, door panels and
consoles.
    According to Tim Jackson, Haartz director of automotive sales - interiors,
the company is supplying polypropylene foam laminate materials --
polypropylene foam and vinyl skin -- to Visteon Automotive Systems for the
Ford Taurus and Ford Focus door panels. Visteon is using a unique one-step
molding operation to manufacture the door panels.
    "We are extremely proud to partner with Visteon and Ford on these
programs," Jackson said.  "These high-volume vehicle platforms exemplify the
growing trend toward using low-pressure molded door-trim panels, which are
another step closer to being fully recyclable."
    Jackson said that fully recyclable, next-generation door-trim panels can
be achieved by combining plastics from the same family -- polypropylene foams,
polypropylene substrates and TPO cover skins.
    Further strengthening its capabilities of supplying customers worldwide
with more environmentally friendly materials for automotive interiors, Haartz
recently developed new TPO processing technology, as well as invested $7
million to expand its manufacturing plant and to add new equipment that will
be dedicated exclusively to olefin extrusion.
    A leader in TPO research, Haartz also recently signed a business and
technical cooperation agreement with Paris, France-based Establissements
Treves.  The two companies will design and develop TPO foam composites, TPO
sheet and other materials for auto interiors.
    At the recent Automotive & Transportation Interiors Expo in Detroit,
Haartz displayed its full portfolio of moldable automotive interior-trim
materials that can help customers improve recyclability, aesthetics, comfort
and safety, while reducing cost and weight.

    Some of the highlights included:
    *  A new line of recyclable, lightweight TPO coverstock for a variety of
interior-trim applications;
    *  Trilaminate materials used on low-pressure injection-molded door-trim
panels for the 1999 Ford Expedition; and
    *  A fully wrapped, vacuum-formed instrument panel for the 1999 Oldsmobile
Alero covered with a PVC/cross-linked polypropylene foam laminate.
Haartz -- a leading manufacturer of engineered-coated materials for the U.S.
and European markets -- has its corporate and manufacturing headquarters, and
a research and development center in Acton, Mass., as well as sales offices
around the world, including an automotive sales office in Bloomfield Hills,
Mich.
    A supplier to the auto industry since 1907, Haartz offers major tier-one
automotive suppliers in North America a broad portfolio of PVC and TPO
interior-trim materials for molded instrument panels, door panels and
consoles.  The privately owned company, which employs 340 people and had sales
of nearly $100 million in 1998, also supplies convertible topping fabrics
worldwide.