Grammer Automotive Expands North American Facilities

    ANN ARBOR, Mich.--May 9, 2003--Grammer AG - Automotive, a leading supplier of automotive interior specialty systems, has expanded its manufacturing capabilities in Piedmont, S.C. and Puebla, Mexico to satisfy customer demand.
    Grammer Automotive recently moved into a bigger facility in Piedmont, from its original location in Greenville, S.C. to support interior specialty systems production for BMW vehicles through both Faurecia and Lear Corporation. The 155,000 square-foot Piedmont plant gives Grammer nearly double the 80,000 square-feet of space it had occupied in Greenville. It also houses management and support staff for Grammer's operations in North and South America.
    With a total of 95 employees, 65 hourly, and 30 salaried, Piedmont runs two shifts on four production lines. The plant boasts a long-term 100 percent injury-free rate for which it won a "Grammer Corporate Safety Award," and it recently received certification to ISO 14001 for environmental management.
    Grammer's Puebla, Mexico plant also has expanded recently, consolidating its operations in Tetla, Mexico with those in Puebla, in a new, larger facility to accommodate production for Volkswagen, through Johnson Controls Inc. and Lear Corporation.
    The Puebla plant is notable as well for its highly-skilled workforce, outstanding quality and low employee turnover. Both facilities, along with all other Grammer Automotive manufacturing locations worldwide, have been certified TS 16949 compliant.

    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 in 2002 year totaled $837 million, with approximately $100 million in North America.
    Grammer has manufacturing facilities in Piedmont, S.C.; Queretaro and Puebla, Mexico; an office in Ann Arbor, MI, and is establishing engineering and program management capabilities in the Detroit area.
    More information about Grammer Automotive is on the web at www.grammer.com.