Detroit Diesel Corporation Strengthens Sales Staff with New Structure; Personnel Appointments

DETROIT, Sept. 16 -- In an effort to strengthen its sales organization, Detroit Diesel Corporation (DDC) is announcing several personnel appointments to its sales staff.

Bruce Smalley is appointed Vice President of Sales at Detroit Diesel. In this role, he will be responsible for leadership and coordination of NAFTA On- Highway engine sales. Smalley will report directly to Mark Lampert, Senior Vice President of Sales for Freightliner Trucks, Sterling Trucks and Western Star Truck brands.

Before taking this assignment, Smalley was at Freightliner where he held the position of General Manager of Marketing and Strategy. He also brings extensive sales experience to his new position based on his time at Freightliner, as well as Cummins Engine Company, where he held a variety of roles. Smalley holds both a bachelor's of science degree in finance and a master's degree in business administration from Indiana University.

"Bruce's past leadership success at Freightliner will certainly help strengthen the Detroit Diesel sales organization overall," said Carsten Reinhardt, Detroit Diesel President and Chief Executive Officer. "He is a welcome addition to the team."

"With his Freightliner background and extensive OEM diesel engine experience, Bruce will provide a strong link between Detroit Diesel and Freightliner as we work to enhance our competitiveness in the NAFTA commercial vehicle market," said Mark Lampert, Senior Vice President of Sales for Freightliner, LLC. "His work at Freightliner demonstrated great insight about what it takes to ensure customer satisfaction, which is something I know he will carry forward at Detroit Diesel."

In addition to Bruce's appointment and in order to provide better regional sales coverage across NAFTA, two Regional General Managers are being added to the Detroit Diesel sales team.

* Brian Cota is appointed to Central Region General Manager. He will oversee sales, product support and customer satisfaction for all on-highway products for various applications. Before taking this new role, Cota served as District Manager for Freightliner Trucks covering new truck sales in the Wisconsin and Eastern Iowa areas. He has extensive experience with Detroit Diesel as he worked at the company from 1994 to 2000 in various sales positions. Cota has a bachelor's degree in business administration from Western Michigan University.

* Greg Stahl is appointed to Northeast Region General Manager. He will oversee sales, product support and customer satisfaction for all on-highway products for various applications. Prior to joining Detroit Diesel, Stahl served as Freightliner Group Manager of DaimlerChrysler Components where he led the team responsible for NAFTA sales of proprietary axles and transmissions. Before joining Freightliner in 2002, he worked in sales for Cummins Engine Company. Stahl holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Principia College.

* And, after 36 years of service with Detroit Diesel Corporation, Roger Day, Vice President of National Accounts, has elected to retire, effective December 2005. As a result, Don Kilfin, currently a DDC National Accounts representative, will succeed Day in this critical role. He will serve as General Manager of National Accounts and will be responsible for all sales, product support and customer satisfaction for key accounts within the NAFTA market. Kilfin has a bachelor's of science degree from Pacific Western University.

Detroit Diesel Corporation is the leading manufacturer of on-highway heavy-duty diesel engines for the commercial truck market. The company offers a complete line of engines from 170 to 515 horsepower for the on-highway and vocational markets. Through its corporate headquarters in Detroit, Michigan, Detroit Diesel is engaged in the design, manufacture, sale and service of these products, in addition to supporting alternative and hybrid engine strategies for the commercial truck marketplace. Detroit Diesel is a subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler and part of the Freightliner group of companies.