Purchasing 'Open Forum' with GM, Ford and Honda Will Help Suppliers Get Answers at the Auto Interiors Show, June 7-8, Cobo Center

DETROIT, May 15, 2006 -- What are the purchasing teams from General Motors, Ford and Honda looking for from their interior component suppliers in terms of pricing and global sourcing? How receptive will these OEMs be to suppliers passing along rising material costs? And how are the new Ford and GM supplier relations programs working out?

These are just a few of the subjects that will be addressed by a panel of the industry's top purchasing executives when they convene Thursday morning, June 8 at the 13th annual Auto Interiors Show at Detroit's Cobo Center. The panelists will include:

* GM's Bo Andersson, vice president global purchasing and supply chain

* Honda's Mark VanDeVelde, senior manager, purchasing division, North American cost planning

* Ford's Ann Carter, director of Americas interior/electrical purchasing

The panel, billed as the "OEM/Supplier Open Forum - The Inside Story: Interior Purchasing Solutions to Maximize Efficiency and Minimize Costs," will be moderated by Dr. John Henke, president and CEO of Planning Perspectives, Inc., the Birmingham, MI-based research consultancy that publishes the annual study on automotive OEM-supplier relations.

For the past decade, the study has shown that suppliers consider Asian automakers' purchasing practices to be much fairer than those of the domestic automakers and a growing preference by suppliers to work with them over the domestic producers. However, in the last year, both GM and Ford have announced new initiatives to improve relations with suppliers.

The panel will be immediately followed by a related conference session focusing on supplier strategies. The discussion, featuring executives from Delphi, Visteon and Faurecia, will examine how suppliers are repositioning themselves and to address OEM needs in response to major shifts in the North American market.

Other Conference Sessions & Keynotes

The purchasing panel is one of a number of conference sessions and keynotes that will focus on broad industry concerns facing interiors suppliers, as well as more focused technical issues. Keynote addresses will be given by GM's Vice Chairman Bob Lutz and Magna's President Mark Hogan.

Conference sessions will cover a full range of topics related to interiors, from interior economics and safety; to interior design and branding; to electronics, in-car entertainment and materials.

Interior of the Year Awards

In addition, the 7th annual Auto Interior of the Year Awards is being held to honor the leading automakers' interior designs, features and technologies in North American vehicles in six categories: Popular-price cars, popular- priced CUVs, popular-priced trucks, premium-priced cars, premium-priced CUVs and premium-priced trucks.

The Interior of the Year Awards program this year will also recognize the Best Navigation System, Best Instrument Cluster, Best Sound System, Best Seating, Best Interior Innovation and, in recognition of the ever-growing importance of passenger comfort details, Best Cup Holder. A reception for OEM and supplier executives and the news media will be held following the awards presentation on June 7.

For more details on the show, such as the conference session line-up and schedules for the event, go to http://www.autointeriors.com/ .

About the Auto Interiors Show

Now in its 13th year, The Auto Interiors Show is presented by Ward's Automotive Group and is the industry's leading trade show and conference for vehicle interiors. It spotlights the latest innovations in vehicle technology and design to help suppliers respond to increasing OEM demands and changing consumer preferences. It features exhibits of leading suppliers who showcase trendsetting products and materials with a view to the future of vehicle interiors.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Media Registration: Please phone or email Mike Hedge: mhedge@hedgeco.com; +1-248-594-1600.