Durakon Invests in Lapeer Operations

New Automated Equipment to Enhance Speed and Quality of Manufacturing High Performance Cargo Systems

LAPEER, Mich., July 10 -- Durakon Industries, a leading manufacturer of cargo management, accessories and systems to the light truck market, today announced plans to invest in new equipment and technology that will further enhance the manufacturing process of its cargo bedliners at its facility in Lapeer.

Included in Durakon's investments is the purchase of an automated robotic trim system from FANUC Robotics America, Inc., a leading supplier of robotic automation in North America. The new robot will provide improvements and increase capability to the trimming process for bedliners manufactured at the plant. The robot automatically trims the unfinished bedliner and makes rapid cuts so the finished product installs properly into the cargo space.

"This is a significant investment in state-of-the-art equipment by Durakon and it demonstrates our commitment to the Lapeer facility," said Ed Gniewek, Chief Executive Officer of Durakon. "This new system will dramatically improve our manufacturing capability by improving the speed and accuracy of the trimming process. We are committed to continually upgrading our processes that will improve the quality of our products."

According to Mr. Gniewek, the company plans additional purchases in 2004 to continue to serve global customers from Lapeer. In addition to acquiring the robot, Durakon is purchasing related software and making other necessary improvements to accommodate the new machinery.

Mike Himmel, plant manager for the Lapeer site, said, "The new robot is expected to be installed by year end and it will greatly improve our productivity and reduce the down time required when we need to retool for different product lines. There are a number of benefits to the new technology and we are particularly pleased that its precision trimming will allow us to further reduce waste in the manufacturing process."

About Durakon

Durakon Industries is the world's leading supplier of pickup bed protection and is a primary supplier of vehicle cargo control products and other accessory systems and components for both OEM and aftermarket. Well- known Durakon brands include Duraliner(R), AllStar(TM) and CargoPro(TM). For more information concerning Durakon visit the website at www.durakon.com.