Freudenberg-NOK Ranked Among Top Suppliers In Automotive Industries' Quest for Excellence Survey

PLYMOUTH, Mich., June 18 -- Freudenberg-NOK was recently honored with the coveted "Quest for Excellence" award by Automotive Industries magazine, being named one of the "AI Fab 50" suppliers for 2003. Results from the magazine's annual survey can be found in its June issue.

According to Automotive Industries, readers who work for automakers were asked to rate nearly 300 suppliers from poor to excellent on the critical issues of quality, price, delivery, service / support and innovation. With more than 1,000 responses from automaker executives, the results were tabulated to determine the top 50 suppliers.

"It is a high honor to be recognized by our automaker customers as a leader in the five most crucial areas of customer service," said Richard E. Allen, chief executive officer of Freudenberg-NOK's Automotive Sector. "This award is a true testament to the customer-focused commitment and dedication of our employees, who are driving continuous improvement, technological innovation and global collaboration."

"There is fierce competition in the automotive industry which drives the need for continual improvement in quality and price," said Rob Wilson, publisher of Automotive Industries. "Those companies who were ranked among the top performers, such as Freudenberg-NOK, were honored because they thrive on each challenge, remain undaunted and will strive to compete in this industry with success."

Plymouth, Mich.-based Freudenberg-NOK is part of the Freudenberg and NOK Group Companies, which have total annual sales of nearly $7 billion. With worldwide automotive sales of approximately $4 billion, the Freudenberg and NOK Group was ranked No. 2 in global balance among top automotive suppliers (according to Automotive News International - Sept. 2001) and No. 22 in global sales among the world's top OEM automotive suppliers (per Automotive News - June 17, 2002).

Through a global network of facilities spanning 27 countries with some 25,000 automotive employees worldwide, the supplier group offers its automotive customers globally integrated products, including sealing packages for transmissions, engines, brakes, axles and steering, NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) components and packages, and all rubber, plastic and PTFE components for suspension, electrical and fuel systems.

The global Freudenberg and NOK Group also offers an extensive portfolio of special precision seals for the aerospace, appliance, business machine, fluid power, marine, medical, off-highway equipment and recreational vehicle markets.

For more information, visit the Freudenberg-NOK web site at www.freudenberg-nok.com