Minority-owned Company Buys Majority Interest
in Trim Masters' Lawrenceville, Illinois Facility
Plant that supplies interior systems for Toyota vehicles
gains a new business partner, Ernie Green Industries, Inc.
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ill., Jan. 23 Thanks to a new joint
venture, automotive supplier Ernie Green Industries, Inc. will gain expanded
business with a key customer -- Toyota -- and the automaker will implement its
largest U.S. sourcing contract with a minority-owned company. Based in Dayton,
Ohio, Ernie Green Industries, Inc. has purchased a majority interest in the
Lawrenceville, Illinois operation of Trim Masters Inc. The Trim Masters Inc.
facility is a Johnson Controls joint venture with Araco Corporation, and is
one of six manufacturing plants Trim Masters Inc. operates in the United
States.
The new minority-owned company, called Automotive Technology Systems, LLC,
officially launched operations at the Lawrenceville site on January 1, 2001.
It is supplying automotive seat systems and door panels for Toyota vehicles
produced in Princeton, Indiana.
Officials from Trim Masters Inc. and Ernie Green Industries, Inc.
participated in a ceremonial "deal-signing" event today at the Lawrenceville
plant.
"We welcome Ernie Green Industries, Inc. as a partner in this new
minority-owned facility," said Phillip Ashcraft, senior vice president of Trim
Masters Inc. "Together, we will continue to supply world-class seating, door
panels and other interior components for Toyota vehicles, and pursue expanded
business with Toyota as well as other major automakers and suppliers."
As a result of the deal, Ernie Green Industries, Inc. will hold a 51
percent majority-ownership share in the new company, while Trim Masters Inc.
will own the remaining 49 percent. Automotive Technology Systems, LLC will
apply for minority-ownership certification from the regional office of the
National Minority Supplier Development Council.
Ernie Green is founder, president and chief executive officer of Ernie
Green Industries, Inc., with headquarters in Dayton, Ohio, a leading supplier
of plastic and metal components for the global automotive industry. His firm,
with five U.S. plants and a Detroit-based sales office, has won many top
quality and performance awards from its customers. Ernie Green Industries,
Inc., with consolidated sales in excess of US$600 million, supplies major
automakers, including DaimlerChrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Mazda,
Mitsubishi, Nissan and Toyota.
Trim Masters Inc. currently manufactures vehicle seat systems, door panels
and interior trim components at seven plants in the United States and Mexico.
Its facilities are located in Bardstown, Harrodsburg, Leitchfield and
Nicholasville, Kentucky, Modesto, California, and Torreon, Mexico. Trim
Masters Inc. supplies products as a Tier I and Tier II supplier for Johnson
Controls, Inc., Toyota (Kentucky, Indiana and Canada) and NUMMI (New United
Motor Manufacturing, Inc.), a Toyota-General Motors joint venture in
California.
Green will serve as chief executive officer for Automotive Technology
Systems, LLC.
The Lawrenceville operation presently employs 394 people. Green says the
existing management team and work force is being retained, and he will seek
future opportunities to include members of his management team in the
organization.
"Automotive Technology Systems, LLC is certain to be a winning proposition
for our employees, all of the joint-venture partners, as well as our current
and future customers," said Green.
According to Ashcraft, Trim Masters Inc. is a highly respected automotive
supplier, with a reputation for manufacturing top-quality products. Trim
Masters Inc., founded in Kentucky 13 years ago, launched the Lawrenceville
plant in 1998. The Lawrenceville facility currently supplies seat systems,
door panels and interior trim for Toyota Tundra pickup trucks. Also, it
recently began supplying seats and door panels for the 2001 Toyota Sequoia, an
all-new, full size sport-utility vehicle.
Mr. Tsugio Kadowaki, vice president of purchasing for Toyota Motor
Manufacturing North America, says the automaker strongly supports the creation
of the new joint-venture company in Lawrenceville.
"We are committed to diversity and to working with excellent suppliers,"
he said. "Our sourcing contract with Automotive Technology Systems, LLC
represents a major step forward in our ongoing efforts to provide business
opportunities to minority-owned companies."
With headquarters in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, Trim Masters Inc. produces
complete seats, metal seat frames, trim covers and door panels for vehicles
produced by Toyota North America and NUMMI. They include Avalon, Camry,
Corolla, and Solara sedans; Sequoia sport-utility vehicles; Sienna minivans;
and Tundra and Tacoma pickup trucks.
Araco Corporation, with headquarters in Toyota City, Japan, was founded in
1947. Araco is a key supplier to Toyota worldwide. Araco manufactures
automotive seats, door trim, and roof linings. In addition, Araco assembles
the Landcruiser, Coaster and other vehicles for Toyota in its operations in
Japan. It began the Landcruiser assembly as early as 1953 and has continued
that business into the current program.
Johnson Controls, Inc. is a global leader in automotive systems and
facility management and control. In the automotive market, it is a major
supplier of seating and interior systems, and batteries. For non-residential
facilities, Johnson Controls provides building control systems and services,
energy management and integrated facility management. Johnson Controls
, founded in 1885, has headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
(U.S.A.). Its sales for 2000 totaled US$17.2 billion.
The Plymouth, Michigan (U.S.A.)-based automotive business of Johnson
Controls -- which employs more than 77,000 people at 285 facilities worldwide
-- achieved US$12.7 billion in sales for the 2000 fiscal year.
Fact Sheet:
TRIM MASTERS INC.
Location Date Customer Products
Opened Supplied
Bardstown, Kentucky 1991 Toyota Door Panels
Harrodsburg, Kentucky 1987 Johnson Controls Trim Covers
TMI-Nicholasville
Harrodsburg, Kentucky 1993 Toyota Technical Center
(Company Headquarters)
Leitchfield, Kentucky 1997 Johnson Controls Trim Covers
TMI-Lawrenceville
Lawrenceville, Illinois 1998 Toyota Complete Seats,
(Automotive Technology Systems, LLC) Door Panels
Modesto, California 1992 Toyota/NUMMI Door Panels
Nicholasville, Kentucky 1994 Toyota Complete Seats,
Metal Frames
Ann Arbor, Michigan 1998 Toyota Engineering
Liaison
Office
/CONTACT: Bill Dawson of Johnson Controls, 734-254-5925; Carl Code of
Ernie Green Industries, Inc., 313-885-9451; Dale Kihlman of Trim Masters Inc.,
859-734-8143; or Barbara McDaniel of Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America,
859-746-4174/
/Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/473547.html or fax,
800-758-5804, ext. 473547/
/Web site: http://www.johnsoncontrols.com/
