Budd Mexico to Provide SMC Pickup Box for Toyota

TROY, Mich., June 13 -- The Budd Company, a leading supplier to the automotive industry, has been selected to produce a pickup truck inner box for Toyota. "Budd's Plastics Division is very pleased to be a supplier for Toyota," said Rick Urso, president of the Plastics Division. "We are glad to be expanding our business with Toyota, a world-class automotive company."

Budd will build a new facility in the Tijuana, Mexico area to supply Toyota's new truck bed facility which will be built there. The SMC raw material will be produced at Budd's Van Wert (Ohio) Plant.

Toyota held the groundbreaking or "First Stone Ceremony" for its new plant yesterday. Budd has several locations under consideration and will soon finalize the site of its new facility. "The site we select will be close to the Toyota Plant to provide the best logistics possible," Urso said.

The Tijuana area plant will be Budd's second facility in Mexico. Budd has an interest in Aventec, S.A. de C.V. which manufactures sheet metal stampings and assemblies in Silao, Mexico.

Budd makes SMC pickup box components and Tonneau covers for North American manufacturers. A Budd-made box currently is featured on the Ford Sport Trac and Budd Tonneau covers are available for the Ford Ranger.

The Budd Company, headquartered in Troy, Michigan, supplies approximately 100 vehicle models with sheet metal stampings and assemblies, composite autobody panels, chassis modules and subframes, prototypes, bumpers and bumper reinforcements, cold weather products and air bag components. Budd operates 39 facilities with more than 12,500 employees in North America.

The Budd Company is part of ThyssenKrupp Automotive AG, of Bochum Germany, a $6 billion supplier providing body systems, chassis modules and suspension parts, powertrain components and systems/suspensions to the automotive industry worldwide.