Budd Licenses Mitras Industries of Germany For SMC Plastics Technology and Production

5 August 1997
Budd Licenses Mitras Industries of Germany For SMC Plastics Technology and Production

    TROY, Mich., Aug. 5 -- The Budd Company's Plastics Division
today announced that Mitras Industries Holdings Company of Weiden, Germany,
has been granted a license for technology and production of SMC plastics for
the automotive industry in Europe.
    "We have been asked to serve our customers in Europe with the same high
level of quality and technical leadership that we have provided in this
country for more than 30 years," said Richard J. Urso, President, Budd
Plastics Division.  "This step will enable us to do this from several
locations in Europe with a highly-competent European supplier."
    Budd Plastics, with a full service Design Center and five manufacturing
sites in the U.S. and Canada, will join with Mitras, which produces automotive
and truck components in seven European countries.  The Budd Mitras alliance
can now serve customers in both Europe and the Americas.
    Budd Plastics is one of the largest suppliers of SMC composite for Class A
surfaces.  Applications are exterior automotive body panels and hoods for
luxury and sports cars, sport utility vehicles, and vans.  The Budd Plastics
Division also manufacturers structural and engine components such as auto
engine valve covers.
    Budd, headquartered in Troy, Michigan, is a Thyssen Budd Automotive
company.  It produces components such as doors, fenders, roofs, hoods, and
decklids in sheet metal, as well as in sheet molded composite (SMC), and iron
castings for about 100 current vehicle models.  Budd also makes prototypes,
chassis frames and subframes, bumpers, cold weather starting and heating
products and air bag components for the automobile industry.  Budd operates 24
facilities, with about 9,000 employees, in North America.  In addition, the
company has offices in Stuttgart, Germany, and Tokyo, Japan.
    Mitras Industries Holdings employs more than 1700 employees in facilities
located in the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, France, Czech Republic, Sweden
and Finland.  Their automotive customers include Rolls Royce, Mercedes-Benz,
BMW, Audi, VW, Rover, Porsche, Opel, SAAB, and Jaguar.

SOURCE  Budd Company