Bridgewater to Open Warren, Michigan JIT Manufacturing Plant for Automotive Seat Systems

Supplier will build products on 'just-in-time' basis for several Ford and Lincoln light truck models

DETROIT, Oct. 10 -- Officials at Bridgewater Interiors LLC announced today that the company will open a manufacturing plant in Warren, Michigan to build and supply automotive seat systems to Ford Motor Company in Michigan beginning in 2004. Detroit-based Bridgewater Interiors is a Michigan Minority Business Development Corporation-certified, minority-owned joint venture between automotive supplier Johnson Controls and Epsilon, LLC, of Detroit.

Bridgewater Interiors' new plant -- which is dedicated to support Ford business -- represents the company's first supply relationship with the automaker.

Beginning next year, Bridgewater Interiors will supply seat systems for the all-new 2004 F-150 pickup trucks built at Ford's Dearborn, Michigan Assembly Plant, and Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator models produced at the automaker's Michigan Truck Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan.

The planned 265,000 square-foot Warren plant is expected to employ approximately 600 people when it reaches full production. Bridgewater plans to locate its new production to an existing manufacturing facility located at 7500 Tank Boulevard, off Van Dyke Avenue between 11 and 12 Mile Roads -- a site previously occupied by other Johnson Controls manufacturing operations. A number of building and site improvements and the installation of manufacturing equipment are expected to be completed this fall. The facility is located on the grounds of the former Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant, which shut down in 1996. The property is designated as one of the State of Michigan's 11 Renaissance Zones -- tax-free districts designed to encourage business development in distressed urban and rural areas.

In March, Johnson Controls was awarded operational responsibility for the Expedition and Navigator seating programs, which previously were supplied by Visteon Corporation. Production of second- and third-row seats for the models -- which currently are built at Visteon's Chesterfield Township, Michigan facility -- will be moved to Bridgewater Interiors' Warren location. Front-row seats -- currently produced at Johnson Controls' Plymouth, Michigan manufacturing plant -- will be transferred to the Warren site as well. The Plymouth, Michigan manufacturing plant will begin producing seating systems for the Ford Focus and Lincoln Town Car vehicles.

Johnson Controls officials announced plans last April for moving the business to a new, Detroit-area plant before July 2004. The transfer of the Expedition and Navigator seating business is expected to be completed by January 2004.

Ford recently awarded Bridgewater Interiors the seating program to supply products for 2004 Ford F-150 pickup trucks. Production of seats for that model begins in May 2004.

The business at Bridgewater's Warren location represents the largest minority contract in Ford history.

"Bridgewater Interiors is pleased to be able to form a new business relationship with Ford, and to serve as a key supplier for the company's light trucks," said Ron Hall, president and chief executive officer of the company. "We are strongly committed to producing world-class seating products for Ford vehicles -- and are proud to bring new jobs to the Detroit region."

Established in 1996, Bridgewater Interiors produces seating and interior systems for major automakers in North America.