Scheele and Zetsche Will Keynote Auto-Tech 2004 Events

DETROIT--May 27, 2004--Nick Scheele, president of Ford Motor Company, and Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chrysler Group president and CEO, will deliver keynote addresses at Auto-Tech 2004, the annual automotive industry trade conference organized by the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG).

Scheele will be the featured speaker at AIAG's annual Outstanding Achievement Awards dinner, on Tuesday, Aug. 31, to honor individuals and AIAG member companies for their contributions to the automotive industry. The dinner, held in conjunction with Auto-Tech 2004, will begin at 7 p.m. at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Hotel located in the Renaissance Center in Detroit.

Zetsche will be the keynote speaker at Auto-Tech's Industry Leader Luncheon on Wednesday, Sept. 1. The noon luncheon will be held in the Riverview Ballroom at Cobo Conference Center.

"We are very pleased to have Nick Scheele and Dr. Dieter Zetsche as our keynote speakers at Auto-Tech 2004," said Andrew J. Cummins, AIAG's executive director. "Their commitment to the event emphasizes the value and urgency of OEM and supplier collaboration through AIAG to drive performance throughout the supply chain."

For more information about Auto-Tech 2004, visit http://www.aiag.org/autotech/. Registrations for Auto-Tech 2004 and AIAG's Outstanding Achievement Awards Dinner can be made online or by contacting AIAG customer service at (248) 358-3003.

In its 17th year, Auto-Tech brings together automotive OEMs and suppliers to share technology standards and processes that reduce cost and complexity in business and manufacturing processes. The theme of Auto-Tech 2004 is "Driving Performance Together," and exhibitors on the 52,000-square-foot exhibit floor will include leading automotive manufacturers and technology and automotive suppliers. More than 150 exhibitors and nearly 4,000 auto industry executives are expected to participate in Auto-Tech 2004.

General Motors Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner will kick-off Auto-Tech 2004 with a keynote address at 8 a.m. on Aug. 31, 2004 at Cobo Center's Riverfront Ballroom.

Founded in 1982, AIAG is headquartered in Southfield, Mich. Its more than 1,600 member companies include North American, European and Asia-Pacific OEMs and suppliers to the automotive industry with combined annual sales of more than $850 billion. A not-for-profit association, AIAG's primary goals are to reduce cost and complexity within the automotive supply chain and to improve speed-to-market, product quality, employee health-and-safety and the environment. Additional information is available on the Internet at www.aiag.org.