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Trim Systems, LLC, Acquires the Heavy Truck Operations of Landmark Industries of Illinois, Inc.

5 November 1997

Trim Systems, LLC, Acquires the Heavy Truck Operations of Landmark Industries of Illinois, Inc.

    MINNEAPOLIS, Nov. 5 -- Trim Systems, LLC (Trim Systems),
has completed the acquisition of the heavy truck operations of Landmark
Industries of Illinois, Inc. (Landmark), a privately held company
headquartered in Morris, Ill.
    The heavy truck operations of Landmark, which have facilities in
Chillicothe, Ohio, and Kent, Wash., manufacture interior trim systems for the
heavy truck industry.  Its principal customer is Kenworth, a unit of PACCAR.
Commenting on the acquisition, John Read, president of Trim Systems, said,
"The truck trim operations of Landmark provide Trim Systems a significant
share of Kenworth's interior trim business.  Landmark's plant locations and
quality reputation are in line with our strategy to provide excellent
logistics support to our heavy equipment customers."
    Trim Systems, formerly the Aeromotive Systems Division of ASC, is one of
the leading suppliers of heavy truck interior systems and is a joint venture
in which both Minneapolis-based Heavy Duty Holdings (HDH), an affiliate of
Hidden Creek Industries, and ASC Incorporated (ASC), of Southgate, Mich., are
equal partners.  Its customers include Freightliner, Volvo and PACCAR.  Trim
Systems' operating headquarters is in Columbus, Ohio, and its manufacturing
facilities are located in Ohio, Washington, North Carolina and Virginia.
    A Prechter Holdings company, ASC is the parent of American Sunroof Company
(OE and aftermarket sunroofs, OE convertible tops); Automobile Specialty
Company (specialty vehicles manufacturing); and Aeromotive Services Company
(product design, styling, prototype and concept vehicle builds).
    Hidden Creek Industries is a privately held industrial management company
based in Minneapolis.  HDH's goal is to consolidate heavy equipment component
suppliers around the systems of these vehicles.  Hidden Creek Industries'
other platform companies are Tower Automotive, Inc., and Dura Automotive
Systems, Inc.

SOURCE  Hidden Creek Industries