Lear Corporation Honors Nine Suppliers in Seventh Annual Hall of Fame Awards Program

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., June 9 -- Lear Corporation today announced the presentation of its highest honor, the Lear Hall of Fame Award, to nine suppliers based on superior service to Lear.

This year's recipients were recognized at a recent ceremony marking Lear's seventh annual Hall of Fame Supplier Awards Program. The winning suppliers, determined using the Lear Supplier Rating System, were honored for excellence in quality, delivery, service and competitiveness.

"In an environment where many companies are struggling, it is important to recognize the 'best of the best' suppliers for providing Lear with exceptional technology, quality and service," said Bob Rossiter, Lear Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "The companies being honored share our philosophy that to win in the marketplace, a supplier must recognize the importance of satisfying its customer."

The nine recipients were selected from over 3,200 companies that supply Lear globally. The Lear Corporation Supplier Hall of Fame Award winners for 2004 are:

  Applied Global Manufacturing, Inc. (AGM) / Metal/Plastic Assemblies
  BAE Industries, Inc. / Seat Mechanisms
  Draka Cables Vigo / Wires
  Elgin Die Mold Co. / Injection Molded Products
  Hi-Tech Mold & Engineering / Injection Molds
  Leoni Cable, Inc. / Cables/Wires
  Littelfuse, Inc. / Electrical/Electronic Components
  Murata Electronics N.A., Inc. / Passive Electronic Components
  US Farathane Corp. / Plastics

  Applied Global Manufacturing, Inc. (AGM)

Located in Madison Heights, Mich., Applied Global Manufacturing's mission is to be an innovative, low-cost, sub-system solution provider of safely produced, quality products and value-added services to the automotive and related industries.

AGM has been a supplier to Lear since 2000 and continues to grow and develop in this relationship. AGM currently provides Lear with a wide array of products including fasteners, grab handles, lighting assemblies and other small metal and plastic assemblies. They continue to offer their expertise in Asia-Pacific sourcing, while providing a high level of quality.

BAE Industries, Inc.

BAE Industries is a supplier of seat mechanisms. The company produces recliners, latches and stampings for multiple Lear seating plants in North America. BAE, with manufacturing locations in Center Line and Auburn Hills, Mich., is one of Lear's largest diversity suppliers. Expertise in design and manufacturing of complex mechanisms has made it an industry leader in North America.

The company's ergonomic designs have assisted Lear in securing several new business programs. BAE continues to impress the Lear program teams with innovative products and attention to detail and quality. This is their second straight year as a Lear Hall of Fame winner, which is proof of their dedication to competitive quality products.

Draka Cables Vigo

Draka Cables Vigo, a subsidiary of Draka Holding N.V., has supplied automotive wires since 1973. Headquartered in Spain, Draka Vigo is leading the European market in changes to halogen-free wires with its effective research capabilities.

Draka Vigo has supported advanced delivery implementation as well as rationalization initiatives and engineering requirements. Draka's products, services and quality have reached Lear's improvement targets beyond expectation.

Elgin Die Mold Co.

Elgin Die Mold is a custom plastics injection molder located in Pingree Grove, Ill. Elgin Die supplies Lear with various small-tonnage, injection- molded products used in a wide variety of assemblies.

Elgin Die Mold's continuous persistence, competitive pricing and high quality make the company a valuable supplier. They have a deep understanding of the traits of a model supplier and continue to provide a sustainable contribution to Lear.

Hi-Tech Mold & Engineering

Hi-Tech Mold & Engineering is Lear's leading supplier of injection molds. Headquartered in Rochester Hills, Mich., Hi-Tech is a family-owned and operated, full-service company specializing in the design & build of production and prototype injection molds.

Hi-Tech's Rochester Hills complex consists of four plants totaling over 125,000 square feet. They are a full-service supplier capable of handling any size tooling program with supreme service and technical support. In 1998, Hi-Tech located a 135,000 square-foot facility in Winchester, Tenn. to be in close proximity to companies requiring a full-service mold supplier.

Leoni Cable, Inc.

Leoni Cable, Inc. is Lear's leading supplier of cable and wire products. Headquartered in Nurnberg, Germany, Leoni is a globally focused company that specializes in the production of primary wire, single- and multi-conductor automotive cables and ABS automotive cables.

Leoni continues to provide excellent manufacturing flexibility, customer satisfaction and creative support for Lear's existing and future business requirements. Leoni's commitment to low-cost, superior quality, timely delivery and the latest technology, coupled with their innovation and creativity in packaging systems, has made them a valued supplier to Lear.

Littelfuse, Inc.

Littelfuse, Inc. is an electrical and electronic component supplier located in Des Plaines, Ill. Littelfuse currently produces fuses, varistors and circuit protection components for the automotive, computing and consumer markets.

Littelfuse's diverse product capability and knowledge makes them a valuable supplier to Lear. Backed by many years of electronic component experience, Littelfuse has provided Lear with products and services above and beyond expectation.

Murata Electronics N.A., Inc.

Murata Electronics is Lear's leading supplier of passive electronic components. Headquartered in Japan, Murata is a global company that specializes in the design and production of capacitors, resistors and various filter technologies.

Murata's commitment to technological innovation as well as its outstanding customer support and quality has made them a valued supplier to Lear. In addition, Murata's ability to respond to compressed and demanding delivery requirements has made it an integral partner in achieving smooth, on-time launches of critical programs.

U.S. Farathane Corp.

Headquartered in Sterling Heights, Mich., U.S. Farathane has been a leading source of plastics manufacturing to the automotive industry for over 30 years. Through highly technical research and development, coupled with a diverse and knowledgeable management team, U.S. Farathane strives to exceed customer expectations for quality, delivery and customer service, as well as product design and development support.

The ability to pair innovation with solid value is what has made U.S. Farathane a leading supplier to the automotive industry. U.S. Farathane is a full-service provider of value-added design and high quality solutions.

"Congratulations to these nine suppliers for being selected by Lear as Hall of Fame Award winners," continued Rossiter. "I am confident that they will continue a tradition of outstanding quality and service in their ongoing relationships with Lear."

Lear Corporation, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Southfield, Mich., USA, focuses on integrating complete automotive interiors, including seat systems, interior trim and electrical systems. With annual net sales of $17 billion in 2004, Lear is one of the world's largest automotive interior systems suppliers. The company's world-class products are designed, engineered and manufactured by more than 110,000 employees in 34 countries. Further information about Lear and its products is available on the Internet at http://www.lear.com/ .

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