J.L. French Automotive Castings, Inc., Announces Appointment of John F. Falcon as Chief Executive Officer

    MINNEAPOLIS--July 16, 2003--J.L. French Automotive Castings, Inc., today announced that John "Jack" F. Falcon has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of the company. Mr. Falcon replaces David S. Hoyte, who has resigned to pursue other interests.
    Falcon, 55, has over twenty-five years in the automotive industry, most recently serving as President and Chief Executive Officer of Shiloh Industries from 1999 through 2002. For the five years prior, he served in various executive capacities at Lear Corporation. His experience includes several international assignments.
    Hoyte served as chief executive officer of J.L. French since February 2001. He was instrumental in improving the company's overall cost structure, the turnaround and integration of the Nelson acquisition, and assisted in completing the December 2002 refinancing transactions.
    The company's board of directors issued the following statement: "We are very excited about Jack joining J.L. French. We believe his enthusiasm and industry knowledge will help us achieve our long-term growth strategy. We also wish Mr. Hoyte well and thank him for his contributions to the company."

    About J.L. French Automotive Castings, Inc.

    J.L. French Automotive Castings, Inc., is a leading global designer and manufacturer of highly engineered aluminum die cast automotive parts including oil pans, engine front covers and transmission cases. The company has manufacturing facilities in Sheboygan, Wis.; Benton Harbor, Mich.; Glasgow, Ky.; San Andres de Echevarria, Spain; Saltillo, Mexico; as well as five plants in the United Kingdom. The company is based in Sheboygan, Wis., and has its corporate office in Minneapolis, Minn.