AutoCom Associates Wins the 2004 Magnum Opus Award

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich.--Sept. 15, 2004--AutoCom Associates, a public relations agency in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., recently received a Silver Award at the annual Magnum Opus Awards competition held by Publications Management Newsletter.

AutoCom was recognized for its work on "Behr In Mind," a quarterly newsletter published for employees of Behr America, an automotive supplier based in Troy, Mich. AutoCom was cited for "Behr People," a regular newsletter feature showcasing the unique hobbies and talents of Behr employees.

The Magnum Opus Awards program was created by the Publications Management Newsletter in conjunction with the University of Missouri School of Journalism and honors the extraordinary skills and talents that go into creating effective corporate magazines and newsletters. The competition included more than 400 entries.

AutoCom Associates provides public relations and management consulting services to businesses working in the global automotive industry. The firm is a member of the International Public Relations Network (IPRN) with more than 40 affiliate agencies, 500 employees and $400 million in annual billings.

In addition to Behr America, AutoCom clients include Alcan Automotive, the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG), dSPACE, Gage Products Company, Grammer Automotive, GKN Driveline, GKN Sinter Metals, Hella North America, Hella Inc., Kolbenschmidt Pierburg, MANN+HUMMEL, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants and TI Automotive.

Behr America is a leading supplier of engine-cooling and air-conditioning systems to the automobile industry. The company has nearly 3,000 employees at facilities in Troy and Webberville, Michigan; Dayton, Ohio; Charleston, South Carolina, and Fort Worth, Texas

Behr America's parent company, Behr GmbH & Co. KG, based in Germany, has been supplying automobile makers for nearly 100 years. Group sales in the 2003 business year came to approximately $3.8 billion. Currently Behr employs more than 16,000 people in 30 development and production facilities in Europe, North and South America, Africa and Asia.

Additional information is at www.behrgroup.com.