2007 Automotive News PACE Award Finalists Named

Prestigious Credential for Suppliers

DETROIT, Mich., Oct. 16 -- More than 30 automotive suppliers have been recognized for innovative excellence in the 13th annual Automotive News PACE Award program, which recognizes automotive innovation.

Open to suppliers that contribute products, processes or services directly to the manufacture of cars or trucks, the prestigious PACE (Premier Automotive Suppliers' Contribution to Excellence) Award is presented by Microsoft, SAP, Transportation Research Center Inc. (TRC Inc.) and Automotive News.

Judges selected 23 finalists and nine honorable mention awardees based on extensive written responses to the 2007 PACE Award application. Finalists will now host site visits by teams of judges, who are industry, academic and business leaders. Judges evaluate each company's innovation in the context of its management, planning, operations, markets and competitive posture. The panel of distinguished judges selects the winners, to be announced at an April 16 gala ceremony at the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit during the Society of Automotive Engineers conference.

"The Automotive News PACE Award is recognized around the world as the industry symbol of innovation," said Peter Brown, Automotive News associate publisher and editorial director. "Companies our judges singled out for finalist and honorable mention status in this year's competition are truly exceptional. We're pleased to spotlight each supplier's accomplishments."

2007 Automotive News PACE Award finalist and honorable mention companies, by category, are:

Product -- Innovations in new products or services or in new product and service development and introduction processes that have significant market impact and act as "game changers" in the automotive industry.

  Finalists
  * Alcoa Wheel Products, Cleveland, Ohio -- Dura-Brite Wheels with XBR
    Technology
  * ASC Incorporated, Southgate, Mich. -- InfiniVu "sunvertible" top system
  * Autoliv ASP, Inc., Ogden, Utah -- Safety Vent Airbag
  * Dow Automotive, Auburn Hills, Mich. -- BETASEAL
  * DuPont Automotive Systems, Troy, Mich. -- DuPont EcoConcept
  * Federal-Mogul Corporation, Southfield, Mich. -- High Temperature Alloy
    (HTA) Exhaust Gaskets
  * Halla Climate Control Corporation, Daejeon, Korea -- Wave Blade Fan and
    Saw Tooth Shroud
  * PPG Industries, Inc., Troy, Mich. -- MWPH3900 Air Dry Waterborne
    Adhesion Promoter
  * Valeo Raytheon Systems, Inc., Auburn Hills, Mich. -- Multi-Beam Radar
    (MBR) Blind-Zone Radar Sensor
  * Webasto AG, Stockdorf, Germany -- Webasto Glass ProTec

  Honorable Mention
  * BASF Coatings, Southfield, Mich. -- BASF VP-126 Power-Fill UV Primer
  * Cooper-Standard Automotive, Auburn Hills, Mich. -- Metal to plastic
    fluid connection with overmolded anti-rotation retainer
  * Delphi Corporation, Kokomo, Ind. -- DS300 Delphi Satellite Telematics
    Control Unit (TCU)
  * ITW ChronoTherm, Elmhurst, Ill. -- AccuTherm
  * Muth Mirror Systems, LLC, Sheboygan, Wis. -- Blind Spot Driver Display
  * Visteon Corporation, Van Buren Township, Mich. -- MACH DSP Digital-IF
    Automotive Receiver for HD Radio

Product-Europe -- As above, but innovations are developed/first commercialized in Europe.

  Finalists
  * BorgWarner TorqTransfer Systems, Ketsch, Germany and Auburn Hills,
    Mich. -- The BorgWarner High Energy ITM3e AWD System
  * BorgWarner Turbo & Emissions Systems GmbH, Kirchheimbolanden,
    Germany -- The BorgWarner Turbo & Emissions Systems Gasoline
    Turbocharger with Variable Turbine Geometry
  * Dow Automotive, Auburn Hills, Mich. -- Fully Structural Blow Molded
    Seatbacks
  * Federal-Mogul Corporation, Compiegne Cedez, France and Southfield,
    Mich. -- LocatGuard 2700
  * Federal-Mogul Corporation, Burscheid, Germany and Southfield,
    Mich. -- Goetze Diamond Coating
  * Schaeffler Group USA Inc., Herzogenaurach, Germany and Troy,
    Mich. -- Tandem Ball Bearings Angular-Contact Ball Bearings in Axle
    Differentials

  Honorable Mention
  * Federal-Mogul Corporation, Bad Camberg, Germany and Southfield,
    Mich. -- Federal-Mogul CV Friction Lock

Manufacturing Process and Capital Equipment -- Innovations involving game- changing processes (manufacturing or business) or innovative capital equipment that supports the automotive supply chain or manufacturing processes.

  Finalists
  * Behr GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart, Germany -- BehrOxal
  * Linamar Corporation-McLaren Performance Technologies Division, Guelph,
    Ontario -- Opti-Power
  * Preh Automotive, Bad Neustadt, Germany -- Physical Vapor Deposition
    (PVD) plastics finishing technology
  * TESCO Engineering, Auburn Hills, Mich. -- E3 Hemming Press

  Honorable Mention
  * Durr Systems, Inc., Plymouth, Mich. -- First Renewable Fuel Usage In
    Automotive Paint Shop Process Equipment

Information Technology and Services -- Innovations in the design and implementation of information systems solutions that enable companies to improve operational performance or delivery of services.

  Finalists
  * Pelion Systems, Boulder, Colo. -- Pelion Lean Manufacturing Operating
    System
  * RTT USA, Inc., Troy, Mich. -- RTT DeltaGen
  * Tenneco Inc., Lake Forest, Ill. -- Diesel Aftertreatment Predictive
    Development Process

  Honorable Mention
  DealerTrack Inc., Lake Success, N.Y. -- DealerTrack

For details about the 2007 Automotive News PACE Award, visit http://www.autonews.com/PACE.

The Automotive News PACE Awards are jointly presented by Microsoft, SAP, TRC Inc. and Automotive News. Additional sponsors include the City of Sunderland, OESA and WCSX 94.7 FM.