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Recent Acquisitions Yield New Business; American Commercial Industries Wins Ford Explorer Door-Hinge Contract

9 September 1997

Recent Acquisitions Yield New Business; American Commercial Industries Wins Ford Explorer Door-Hinge Contract

    TROY, Mich., Sept. 9 -- American Commercial Industries, Inc.
(ACI) has been awarded a contract by Ford Motor Co. to supply door
hinges on the 1999 Ford Explorer, according to Larry O'Dowd, CEO of ACI.
    O'Dowd credited ACI's 1996 acquisitions of engineering and prototyping
company Carron & Co. and ITT Automotive's Jackson, Mich., stamping facility
for helping reduce overall cost for the door hinge, which was instrumental in
winning the Ford contract.
    "Our recent acquisitions have positioned ACI as a company that can support
major Tier One contracts from design through final assembly," O'Dowd said.
"Carron & Co. significantly enhanced our engineering capabilities while the
Jackson facility provided niche stamping expertise in the door-hinge product
area."
    The door hinges will be manufactured at ACI's Jackson, Mich., facility.
Employing more than 300 people, the Jackson plant encompasses several
manufacturing processes including machining, stamping, staking, riveting and
welding.
    American Commercial Industries, Inc. (ACI) is a leading supplier of
process-driven highly engineered, value-added metal-formed and stamped
automotive niche components.  Headquartered in Troy, Mich., the company's
world-class products are designed and manufactured by more than 1,200 people
at five sites located in Michigan, Georgia and Mexico.
    Information about ACI and its products and services is available on the
 Internet at http://www.specialtystampings.com.

SOURCE  American Commercial Industries, Inc.