Behr Earns GM 2004 Supplier of the Year Award

TROY, Mich., April 25 -- Behr GmbH & Co. KG was named as a General Motors Supplier of the Year for its overall business performance in providing GM with world-class heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) modules.

The award was presented during ceremonies April 23 at the General Motors Vehicle Engineering Center in Warren, Michigan.

"Our Supplier of the Year winners are the Best of the Best, and Behr is part of this elite group based on their outstanding performance in 2004," said Bo Andersson, vice president, GM Global Purchasing and Supply Chain. "Its balanced focus on performance and behavior support GM's priorities, and make it a role model for suppliers worldwide."

"We are committed to providing our customers with top technology and quality," said Behr Group CEO Markus Flik. "This recognition from GM confirms that our emphasis on a performance partnership with our customer during both the project-development and serial-production phases leads to continued success."

The GM Supplier of the Year award began as a global program in 1992. Winners are selected by a global team of executives from purchasing, engineering, manufacturing and logistics who base their decisions on supplier performance in quality, service, technology and price. This year, General Motors honored 78 suppliers for their excellence throughout 2004.

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 2004 business year came to around $3.9 billion.

Currently Behr employs 17,000 staff at 10 development and 30 production sites in Europe, North and South America, Asia and South Africa. Additional information is available on the Internet at http://www.behrgroup.com/ .

Headquartered in Troy, Mich., Behr America has nearly 3,000 employees at facilities in Troy and Webberville, Mich.; Dayton, Ohio; Charleston, S.C., and Fort Worth, Texas.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Photos of the award presentation are available. Please contact Janet Krol @ jkrol@usautocom.com .