Yazaki North America Executives Speak at 2003 Management Briefing Seminars, August 5

  Where:  2003 Management Briefing Seminars
          Grand Traverse Resort and Spa
          100 Grand Traverse Village Boulevard
          Acme, Michigan

Who/Panelist: Nigel Thompson - executive vice president, Planning & Development, Yazaki North America, Inc.

Thompson is responsible for strategic planning and business development including IT, R&D, Marketing and Product Planning. He will discuss issues and challenges facing competitors -- new and old -- in North America and considerations for leveraging strengths, navigating weaknesses and blunting others' advantages.

  What:  Competing Against New Entrants Session

  When:  Tuesday, August 5, 2003
         1:30 - 4:30 p.m.

  Session background:

The competitive terrain of the North American industry continues to shift with global perspective on an imperative and as new, foreign-based competitors expand local production operations, creating new challenges for traditional, well-established companies in the automotive industry. Many of these new entrants are taking advantage of state and federal subsidies, and tend to be more nimble in responding to market and customer demands, than their domestic counterparts. Older companies are often plagued by systemic lethargy as well as other challenges such as legacy costs associated with facilities and personnel. However, newness comes with a certain degree of vulnerability and instability. Panelists will discuss these dynamics and share strategic and tactical information on how to compete against these new entrants.

Who/Panelist: Myron Trenne - vice president of Research and Development Yazaki North America, Inc.

Trenne is responsible for bringing new technology product developments that enable vehicle power and data network solutions. Trenne will discuss breakthrough technology as it looks to Yazaki from the perspective of a global supplier of power and data networks.

  What:  Breakthrough Technology Session

  When:  Tuesday, August 5, 2003
         1:30 - 4:30 p.m.

  Session background:

The Breakthrough Technology session will explore breakthrough product and process technologies that are fundamentally changing vehicle designs and their production. Panelists will assess the current state of new technologies and provide examples of applications in vehicles, short term and long term. They will discuss in terms of product, process, current usage and the supply chain.

About Yazaki:

Yazaki Corporation is a global leader in the research, development and delivery of vehicle power and data solutions, as well as advanced electronic technologies for vehicle applications. Yazaki produces electrical distribution systems, fiber optics, advanced networking products, instrumentation, junction blocks, connector systems, and advanced electronics. Worldwide, the company employs over 120,000 people in 38 countries, 1,500 of whom are based in the company's North American headquarters and research center campus in Canton, Michigan. For more information on Yazaki, log onto www.yazaki-na.com .

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20010326/YAZAKILOGO )

PRNewswire -- Aug. 1

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