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TWB Company Achieves QS-9000/ISO 9002

24 March 1998

TWB Company Achieves QS-9000/ISO 9002 Certification

    MONROE, Mich., March 24 -- TWB Company, LLC, North America's
leading supplier of automotive laser welded blanks, today announced the
completion of QS-9000 and ISO 9002 certification for its Monroe, Michigan
blank welding facility.
    QS 9000 certification requires automotive suppliers to document and
conform to quality procedures specifically designed for the U.S. automotive
industry.  General Motors, Ford and Chrysler will require all welded blank
suppliers to be QS-9000 certified in the future.  TWB Company is the first
dedicated welded blank supplier to achieve this designation.
    TWB President, John McCracken stated, "We are very proud that TWB has
earned QS-9000 and ISO 9002 certification.  This achievement confirms our
commitment to quality and service and our desire to be the industry's premier
blank welding supplier."
    Laser welded blanks are customized blanks that consist of two or more flat
metal sheets butt welded together.  The laser welding process allows steel
with different thicknesses, coatings and alloys to be joined together.  The
engineered blanks are subsequently stamped into various automotive components.
Welded blanks provide superior product performance and design flexibility over
conventional sheet metal designs while reducing overall vehicle weight and
assembly costs.
    TWB's QS-9000 certification comes just prior to the launch of the largest
tailor welded blank program in automotive history.  Later this year, TWB will
begin supplying welded blanks to General Motors for door ring apertures for
the new 1999 MY C/K truck platform.  This platform consists of the Chevrolet
and GMC truck lines and is GM's highest volume vehicle platform.  TWB will
produce approximately two million welded blanks annually in support of this
program.
    TWB is a joint venture of Worthington Industries, Thyssen Krupp Stahl
GmbH, Bethlehem Steel Corporation, LTV Steel Company, and Rouge Industries.
TWB operates a 260,000 square foot blanking and welding facility in Monroe, MI
and employs approximately 200 people.

SOURCE  Worthington Industries, Inc.