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VALEO Sylvania, A New Automotive Lighting Systems Company

1 January 1998

VALEO Sylvania, A New Automotive Lighting Systems Company, Born Today; Board Members and General Management Staff Named

    SEYMOUR, Ind., Jan. 1 -- VALEO Sylvania Lighting Systems, a
50-50 joint venture between OSRAM SYLVANIA and VALEO, became effective today,
merging the automotive lighting systems activities of the two groups in North
America.
    Both firms had announced in mid-December that they had reached a final
agreement to form the joint venture.  Terms of the transaction were not
disclosed.
    VALEO Sylvania, with a workforce of around 1,100 employees and sales of
about $200 million, is positioned to become the largest independent supplier
of automotive lighting systems in North America.  The venture is headquartered
here, which was the site of OSRAM SYLVANIA's automotive lighting assembly
business.  The joint venture does not include OSRAM SYLVANIA's automotive lamp
business, which is based in Hillsboro, N.H.
    The VALEO Group, of Paris, France, is an international automotive
components and systems supplier.  OSRAM SYLVANIA, the North American business
of OSRAM GmbH of Munich, a Siemens company, is a full-line supplier of general
and automotive lighting, and precision materials and components for a broad
array of industries.
    Dean T. Langford, president of OSRAM SYLVANIA, has been named chairman of
VALEO Sylvania, and James L. Johnson has been named president and a director.
Other directors are:  Charles F. Jerabek, executive vice president and general
manager of OSRAM's global automotive business; Felix Casellas, head of VALEO's
worldwide Lighting Systems business; Edouard Planchon, VALEO's Group Vice
President for North America; and Dirk Wember, executive vice president of
VALEO Sylvania.
    Reporting to Johnson are Wember, executive vice president, marketing and
sales; Jean-Paul Michel, chief financial officer; Tom Day, manufacturing
manager; Jeff Mickel, engineering and development manager; and Craig
Williamson, operations manager - ballast.  Appointments to head the Advanced
Automotive Lighting Systems group, and the quality and human resources
functions will be announced later.
    "By combining our lighting systems operations, OSRAM SYLVANIA and VALEO
are consolidating commercial positions to serve all major car manufacturers in
North America.  This is a very positive development," Johnson said.
Technological synergies will enable the joint venture to offer a full range of
vehicle lighting systems for forward, rear and interior illumination.

SOURCE  OSRAM SYLVANIA