Behr America Names Arneson as Dayton Thermal Products Plant Manager

DAYTON, Ohio, Dec. 6, 2004 -- Dean Arneson has been named the plant manager of Behr America's Dayton Thermal Products facility, according to Frank Mueller, the company's president.

Arneson replaces Wilhelm Baum, who was recently named Behr America senior vice president of operations, with the responsibility for all Behr manufacturing locations in the U.S.

Arneson joined Behr in 1993 and led Behr's Climate Systems Division in Fort Worth, Texas, as its general manager. He also was the leader of Behr's Truck HVAC Global product line while in Fort Worth.

Arneson transferred to Behr Dayton Thermal Products L.L.C. as vice president of operations in May 2002 at the beginning of the company's recently completed two-year joint venture with DaimlerChrysler.

With headquarters in Troy, Michigan, 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 GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart, is a systems partner for the international automobile industry. A specialist for automotive air conditioning and engine cooling systems, the Behr Group is one of the world's leading manufacturers and suppliers of original equipment for passenger and commercial vehicles. Group sales in the 2003 business year came to around $3.6 billion. Currently Behr employs approximately 16,900 staff at 30 development and production sites in Europe, North and South America, South Africa, and Asia. Additional information is available on the Internet at http://www.behrgroup.com/ .