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Robert Bosch Automotive Group Increases Investments in U.S.

6 August 1997

Robert Bosch Automotive Group Increases Investments in U.S.

    TRAVERSE CITY, Mich., Aug. 6 -- Dr. Helmut Schwarz, president
of Robert Bosch Corp.'s Automotive Group, today said the company is scheduling
"increasingly substantial investments" in its U.S. operations.
    Speaking at the University of Michigan's annual Automotive Management
Briefing Seminar at the Grand Traverse Resort, Dr. Schwarz said Bosch's
spending on new and expanded facilities will total $85 million in 1997, and
rise to $145 million in 1998.
    He said an "extensive expansion plan is underway" that will double the
size of the company's Farmington Hills, Mich., facilities.  Construction will
start late this year, with move-in scheduled for the second quarter of 1999.
Eventually, 1,000 people will be employed.  Also earmarked for expansion is
Bosch's fuel-injector plant in Charleston, S.C., where production capacity
will be increased.
    Looking ahead, Dr. Schwarz said Bosch "will continue to invest in North
American facilities and machinery to support our strong position in the
market."  Bosch's goal is to spend 50 percent of its new facility investments
outside of Germany.
    In his speech, titled "Banishing Barriers: A New Generation of Suppliers,"
Dr. Schwarz predicted that "suppliers still around in year 2000 will be those
that are vital links in supply chains dedicated to operational excellence and
harmonious integration of business disciplines -- the complete package:
product design, material procurement, manufacturing, distribution, sales,
marketing, finance and customer service."
    He added: "The goal is to increase the competitiveness of every link in
the supply chain, and reap the benefits for all participants without
diminishing corporate individuality.  Those who achieve this will be the
survivors that outlive thousands of suppliers that fall by the wayside."
    Schwarz joined Bosch in 1971 and was appointed president of Robert Bosch
Corporation's Automotive Group in July 1996.  He attended the University of
Stuttgart in Stuttgart, Germany, where he received a master's degree and
doctorate in solid state physics.
    The annual automotive seminars take place in Traverse City, Mich., and
attract more than 1,000 automotive executives, analysts and media to discuss
current issues and trends in the industry.  The seminars are sponsored by the
Office for the Study of Automotive Transportation at the U-M Transportation
Research Institute and the Center for Professional Development at the U-M
College of Engineering.
    Bosch delivers a variety of precision components and systems to vehicle
and powertrain manufacturers domestically and abroad.  These include systems
and components for gasoline and diesel injection, safety systems, including
airbag and brake systems, ABS and lighting, as well as small motors,
electrical equipment and electronics.
    Robert Bosch Corporation is the wholly owned American subsidiary of Robert
Bosch GmbH headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany.

SOURCE  Robert Bosch Automotive Corporation