Prestigious Credential for Suppliers: 2005 Automotive News Pace Award Finalists Named

DETROIT, Oct. 19, 2004 -- More than 30 automotive suppliers have been recognized for excellence in the 11th annual Automotive News PACE Award competition.

Open to suppliers that contribute products, processes, materials or services directly to the manufacture of cars or trucks, the prestigious PACE (Premier Automotive Suppliers' Contribution to Excellence) Award is presented by Automotive News, Capgemini and Transportation Research Center Inc. (TRC Inc.).

Judges selected 23 finalists and 10 honorable mention awardees based on extensive written responses to the 2005 PACE Award application. Finalists will now host site visits by industry, academic and business leaders to select the winners, which will be announced in April during the Society of Automotive Engineers conference in Detroit. Judges will evaluate each company's innovation as well as its management team.

"The Automotive News PACE Award is recognized around the world as the industry symbol of innovation," said Peter Brown, Automotive News associate publisher and editorial director. "Companies our judges singled out for finalist and honorable mention status in this year's competition are truly exceptional. We're pleased to spotlight each supplier's accomplishments."

2005 Automotive News PACE Award finalist and honorable mention companies, by category, are:

Product - Innovations in new products or services or in new product and service development and introduction processes that have significant market impact and act as "game changers" in the automotive industry.

   Finalists
    * Bbi Enterprises, Bloomfield Hills, Mich. - B-Quiet Noise Insulation
      Material
    * Delphi Corporation, Troy, Mich. - Delphi Rotary Position Sensor
    * Dura Automotive Systems, Inc., Rochester Hills, Mich. - RackLift
    * Gentex Corporation, Zeeland, Mich. - SmartBeam
    * Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Akron, Ohio - TripleTred Technology
    * Illinois Tool Works Inc., Glenview, Ill. - Direct Fill System
    * John Crane, Inc., Morton Grove, Ill. - Global Compact Seal
    * KVH Industries, Inc., Middletown, R.I. - TracVision A5
    * Multimatic, Inc., Toronto, Ont. - I-Beam Control Arm
    * Omron Automotive Electronics, Inc., Novi, Mich./Nagiya, Japan - New
      Generation-3 Lidar Sensor
    * Tenneco Automotive, Lake Forest, Ill. - Kinetic RFS Technology
    * TRW Automotive, Inc., Livonia, Mich. - New Generation Roll Over
      Curtain Inflator
    * Valeo Switches & Detection Systems, Cretel, France - Lane Departure
      Warning Systems

   Honorable Mention
    * Delphi Corporation, Kokomo, Ind. - Delphi Data Recorder
    * Eaton Corporation, Ann Arbor, Mich. - "Ribbon" Fuel Limit Vent Valve
    * Eaton Corporation, Marshall, Mich. - Heavy Duty Diesel EGR Valve
    * Hayes Lemmerz International, Inc., Northville, Mich. - Flex Wheel
    * Sportrack Automotive, Sterling Heights, Mich. - Lightweight High
      Performance Nanocomposite
    * Tenneco Automotive, Lake Forest, Ill. - Combined Muffler Heat
      Exchanger
    * Visteon Corporation/Halla Climate Control Canada, Inc., Belleville,
      Ont. - AC Liner Accumulator

Product-Europe - As above, but innovations are developed/first commercialized in Europe.

   Finalists
    * Advanced Automotive Antennas, Mollet Del Valles, Spain - Fractal
      Antennas
    * BorgWarner, Ketsch, Germany - DualTronic System
    * Robert Bosch Corporation, Stuttgart, Germany - Trailer Sway Mitigation
    * Siemens VDO Automotive, Babenhausen, Germany - Head-Up Display

   Honorable Mention
    * Eaton Corporation, Monaco - HVAC LIN DC Brushless Actuator
    * Tenneco Automotive, Lake Forest, Ill. - SAM Technologies

Manufacturing Process and Capital Equipment - Innovations involving game- changing processes (manufacturing or business) or innovative capital equipment that supports the automotive supply chain or manufacturing processes.

   Finalists
    * Plastech Engineered Products, Inc., Dearborn, Mich. - Mold-In Color
    * SICK, Inc., Bloomington, Minn. - C4000 Entry/Exit Safety Light Curtain
    * Siemens VDO Automotive, Auburn Hills, Mich. - DEKA VII Electronic
      Gasoline Fuel Injector

Information Technology and Services - Innovations in the design and implementation of information systems solutions that enable companies to improve operational performance or delivery of services.

   Finalists
    * Dana Corporation, Kalamazoo, Mich. - Shape Optimization Software
      (Robin Hood)
    * i2 Technologies, Inc., Southfield, Mich. - i2 Optimal Scheduler
    * Rieter Automotive Systems, Winterthur, Switzerland - Genetic
      Algorithms Optimization for Lightweight Damping (GOLD)

   Honorable Mention
    * Navteq & XM Satellite Radio, Chicago, Ill. - XM NavTraffic

For complete details about the 2005 Automotive News PACE Award, visit Automotive News at http://www.automotivenews.com/pace, Capgemini at http://www.us.capgemini.com/PACE or Transportation Research Center at http://www.trcpg.com/pace.htm.