Behr's BehrOxal(R) Anti-Corrosion Process Chosen as a 2007 PACE Award Finalist

TROY, Mich., Nov. 6, 2006 -- Automotive supplier Behr GmbH & Co. is a finalist in the coveted 2007 Automotive News PACE (Premier Automotive Suppliers' Contribution to Excellence) Award program for BehrOxal(R), its new, environmentally-friendly, anti-corrosion coating technology for evaporator surfaces.

BehrOxal replaces Chrome VI anti-corrosion coatings, which the European Union reclassified from a "toxic" to "very toxic" carcinogen in 2004, prompting the auto industry to seek alternatives. Behr's new process meets a European Union End-of-Life Vehicles Directive that is designed to reduce pollution resulting from vehicles that have reached the end of their drivable lives.

BehrOxal-treated surfaces provide better corrosion protection than Chrome VI and improve water drainage from evaporators, allowing for the use of smaller vehicle evaporators. The improved water drainage of BehrOxal leads to a homogenous cleaning effect that reduces odors caused by microorganism deposits on evaporators.

Presented by Automotive News, Microsoft Corp., SAP and the Transportation Research Center Inc. (TRC Inc.), the 13th annual PACE Awards recognize superior innovation, technological advancement and business performance. Behr's BehrOxal process was selected from among entries submitted each year for the manufacturing process and capital equipment category of the competition.

Behr GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart, Germany, 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 2005 business year were approximately $3.8 billion. Currently Behr employs more than 18,000 people at 10 development and 30 production sites in Europe, North and South America, Asia and South Africa.

Behr America, a North American subsidiary of the Behr Group, is headquartered in Troy, Michigan. Behr America has nearly 3,000 employees at facilities in Troy, Mich., Dayton, Ohio, Charleston, S.C., and Fort Worth, Texas.

Additional information is at http://www.behrgroup.com/ .