Pierburg Inc. Names New Engineering Manager

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Feb. 22, 2005 -- Ulrich Fassbender has been named engineering manager for Kolbenschmidt Pierburg's Pierburg division.

Fassbender joined Kolbenschmidt Pierburg in 2000 as the design engineering team leader for exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valves at Pierburg GmbH. He previously worked as a design engineer at Siemens Energy Production AG in Germany.

In his new position at Kolbenschmidt Pierburg, Fassbender will direct North American engineering support activities for Pierburg Inc. from the company's Southfield offices. Pierburg manufactures automotive oil, air and water pumps and throttle bodies. Fassbender will report to Peter Hradowy, vice president of sales and engineering.

Fassbender earned a PhD in lubricant technology and graduate degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Aachen, Germany. Fassbender also has served as an assistant instructor and lecturer at the Institute for Mechanical Design at the University of Aachen.

He is married and lives with his wife and three children in the Detroit area.

A leading supplier of pistons, automotive oil and water pumps, throttle bodies, bearings, secondary air systems and exhaust flaps, as well as electric exhaust gas recirculation systems and aluminum engine blocks, Kolbenschmidt Pierburg has North American production facilities in Fountain Inn, S.C.; Greensburg, Ind.; Fort Wayne, Ind.; Marinette, Wis., and Leamington, Ontario, in addition to its North American sales offices in Southfield, Michigan.

Kolbenschmidt Pierburg AG is a subsidiary of Rheinmetall AG. The company has approximately 12,000 employees and 2003 global sales of nearly $2.4 billion. Additional information is available on the Internet at http://www.kolbenschmidt-pierburg.com/ .