Chrysler Group Announces Largest Diversity Procurement Award

* Commitment to Diversity Suppliers Continues * Contract with Bridgewater Interiors valued at $400 million * Benefits Empowerment Zone and Renaissance Zone

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Oct. 7 -- Chrysler Group announced today its largest purchase ever from a minority-owned business. The deal with Bridgewater Interiors LLC, is valued at $400 million over the life of the contact.

Detroit-based Bridgewater Interiors LLC, a joint venture between Johnson Controls and Epsilon LLC, is providing overhead systems and sequencing for the all-new 2005 Jeep(R) Grand Cherokee, built in Detroit at Chrysler Group's Jefferson North Assembly Plant, and a future Chrysler Group vehicle.

"This is a great deal for everyone involved," said Tom Sidlik, member of the DaimlerChrysler AG Board of Management responsible for Global Procurement and Supply. "Chrysler Group, Bridgewater, its employees and the local community will benefit today and in the future."

"We're proud of our strong track record as a top-quality automotive supplier during the past five years," said Ronald Hall, president and chief executive officer of Bridgewater Interiors. "We appreciate the confidence that the Chrysler Group has placed in us with this important contract."

The contract generates business in a federally designated Empowerment Zone and a State designated Renaissance Zone. The Empowerment Zone is an area targeted for federally supported urban revitalization and is designed to create jobs, strengthen families and rebuild neighborhoods. The city is eligible for federal grants to improve the quality of life in the Empowerment Zone, and to offer tax breaks and other incentives to promote business development. The State designated Renaissance Zone is a district designed to encourage business development in distressed areas by waiving some taxes. Over the span of the contract, job growth is expected.

Bridgewater Interiors LLC manufactures seat systems and interior parts for major automakers in North America. The company is a minority business enterprise certified by the Michigan Minority Business Development Council. Bridgewater operates three manufacturing facilities and was founded in 1998. The company has been regularly ranked by Black Enterprise magazine as one of the nation's largest African-American-owned companies.

Johnson Controls is committed to supplier diversity. In recent years, the company has achieved several milestones and has been recognized as an industry leader in diversity and in supporting minority-owned companies. Last year, the company was named to the Billion Dollar Roundtable, an organization comprised of 12 U.S. corporations that spend more than $1 billion annually with minority- and women-owned businesses. Also in 2003, Johnson Controls was named "Corporation of the Year" by the National Minority Supplier Development Council. It has been honored as "Corporation of the Year" seven times by the Michigan Minority Business Development Council (MMBDC).

At the Chrysler Group, a supply base that is reflective of its customer base is a business imperative. The company has been a member of the Billion Dollar Roundtable since 2001, and has been named NMSDC "Corporation of the Year" three times. Chrysler Group has also been named "Corporation of the Year" by the local MMBDC four times. Since 1983 Chrysler Group has sourced about $24 billion with minority suppliers. Last year the company bought $3 billion from minority-owned suppliers -- 11% of its total supplier spend.

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