Grammer Automotive Achieves Global Certification

AMBERG, Germany, March 12 -- Grammer Automotive, a leading supplier of specialty automotive seating systems, has been certified ISO/TS 16949 compliant at every one of its twenty manufacturing locations worldwide.

The International Standards Organization (ISO), located in Geneva, Switzerland, administers TS 16949 quality system requirements and certification. The audit was conducted by Dekra-ITS Certification Services Ltd., a joint venture of (European) Dekra AG and (American) Intertek Testing Services. Dekra and ITS are two of the world's largest management system certification organizations.

The certification process was accelerated by the fact that Grammer Automotive already had in place many of the processes and procedures necessary to pass the stringent quality standards.

"Very few companies have earned this designation so far, so we're in a strong competitive position," says Eugen J. Geyer, senior vice president of Grammer Automotive. "The reason we could win this certification so quickly is the innovation and dedication of Grammer's employees," Geyer added.

Grammer Automotive, a division of Grammer AG, designs and manufactures interior specialty systems for passenger cars and light trucks, including head restraint and armrest systems, child booster seat modules and other trim components.

Headquartered in Amberg, Germany, Grammer AG has 7,400 employees worldwide and manufacturing facilities in twelve countries. Sales for Grammer AG for the 2000-2001 fiscal year totaled more than $700 million, with approximately $100 million in North America. Grammer has manufacturing facilities in Piedmont, S.C., Queretaro and Puebla in Mexico, an office in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and is establishing engineering and program management capability in the Detroit area.

More information about Grammer Automotive is on the web at www.grammer.com .