Revised: Tower Automotive Selects Activplant as Global Standard for Assembly Operations

LONDON, Ontario, Feb. 16, 2005 -- This press release replaces the press release issued on February 8, 2005.

Tower Automotive (Novi, MI) with more than 60 locations worldwide and $2.8 billion in annual revenue, has selected enterprise manufacturing intelligence software from Activplant (London, Ontario) as its factory information system standard for assembly operations. Tower supplies body structures, frame assemblies, suspension components, and modules for nearly every major automotive manufacturer in the world.

By gathering and analyzing data on anywhere from 60 to 120 different operations per assembly line, such as automated welding equipment, robots, and other assembly equipment, Activplant software gives Tower the capability to identify and resolve bottlenecks or downtime issues as they are occurring. Knowing more quickly which operations are blocked, starved, or idle means problems are fixed faster, and the automotive OEMs Tower supplies can produce with confidence.

"When you supply an OEM, today you're typically located where the customer is and you're expected to run at the customer's line speed," explains Brad Ward, Director of IT, North America at Tower. "Anything that can affect that is critical. What Activplant gives our manufacturing is the ability to look at production anytime from anywhere and make adjustments."

What was formerly tracked manually with industrial engineers and clipboards, Activplant software now does automatically for Tower Automotive and with immediate access. A number of other software applications can monitor production equipment, but what made Activplant stand out for Tower was out-of-the-box reporting capabilities. "Other software offered report- building," Ward explains. "With Activplant, the reports we need are there."

"Manufacturers like Tower face incredible pressure to boost productivity and product quality as well as launch more complex products without additional resources," says Activplant president and CEO Dennis Cocco. "By knowing production status and being able to adjust it at any given time, Tower can drive operational excellence with increased accountability and decreased costs."

"The ultimate measurable for us is matching our customers' production rates, especially during new product launch," says Brad Ward. "Doing so consistently keeps us in good standing. Activplant buys us a lot of goodwill."

About Tower Automotive

Tower Automotive, Inc. is a global designer and producer of vehicle structural components and assemblies used by every major automotive original equipment manufacturer, including BMW, DaimlerChrysler, Fiat, Ford, GM, Honda, Hyundai/Kia, Nissan, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo. Products include body structures and assemblies, lower vehicle frames and structures, chassis modules and systems, and suspension components. Additional company information is available at http://www.towerautomotive.com/ .

About Activplant

Activplant is the leading provider of enterprise manufacturing intelligence software. Activplant software enables manufacturers to collect, store, analyze and distribute critical information throughout the manufacturing enterprise in real time. Activplant consolidates raw plant floor data into relevant real-time information and historical data. This visibility allows plant managers and corporate executives to make faster, more informed decisions that drive operational excellence, product quality and plant profitability. Activplant is a privately held company based in London, Ontario.