Hella Electronics Earns Nissan Quality Award

FLORA, Ill., June 1 -- Hella Electronics Corporation's (HEC) Flora, Ill., plant has been recognized by Nissan as a top component supplier, receiving the automaker's Quality Achievement Award based on the plant's total quality systems.

The Hella plant produces electronic accelerator pedals for vehicles assembled by Nissan in Smyrna, Tenn.

The Flora plant earned one of only nine awards presented for total quality systems. HEC ranked in the top 10 percent of Nissan suppliers and had one of the highest plant survey scores -- 94 out of a possible 100 -- that Nissan has ever given for a quality operating system.

The award was presented recently to Mike Carnahan, Flora plant manager, and Gene Pieplow, quality assurance manager, at ceremonies in Nashville, Tenn., attended by more than 500 Nissan suppliers.

"We're proud of our product and gratified to be honored for our efforts," said Carnahan. "This truly was a team effort."

A production team from Nissan will visit Flora soon to present a plaque in person to HEC plant personnel.

Lighting, electronics, complete vehicle modules, air conditioning systems, vehicle wiring systems and signal processing for the automobile industry, as well as parts suppliers to the aftermarket, are the core competence fields of automotive supplier Hella KG Hueck & Co. Sales for the Hella Group are approximately $3.8 billion, placing Hella among the top 100 German industrial companies.

With its corporate headquarters in Lippstadt, Germany, the company employs more than 22,800 people at 61 manufacturing facilities, production subsidiaries and joint-venture companies in 18 countries. Over 1,800 engineers and technicians work in research and development. All of the world's leading automobile and systems manufacturers are Hella customers as well as the automotive components aftermarket.

Additional information is available on the Internet at http://www.hella.com/ .