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Lear Auto Interior Parts Plant Wins 1998 Shingo Prize

20 April 1998

Lear Winchester, Va. Plant to Receive 1998 Shingo Prize For Excellence in Manufacturing

    SOUTHFIELD, Mich., April 20 -- Lear Corporation's
Winchester, Virginia injection molding facility has been selected to receive
the 1998 Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing.  The prize will be
awarded May 14, at the Shingo Prize Conference in Lexington, Kentucky.  Lear's
Winchester plant supplies automotive interior parts to Ford, GM, Toyota, and
Saturn.
    Established in 1988 and administered by the Utah State University's School
of Business, the Shingo Prize recognizes companies that have demonstrated
outstanding achievements in manufacturing processes leading to quality
enhancements, productivity improvements, and customer satisfaction.
    The Prize is named after the late Dr. Shiego Shingo who served as
president of Japan's Institute of Management Improvement and distinguished
himself as one of the world's leading experts on improving the manufacturing
process.  Dr. Shingo helped create many improvement principles, including
Just-in-Time manufacturing (JIT), one of the principles in which Lear is
considered to be extremely proficient.
    "The Lear Winchester plant has been most successful at creating an
environment that invites ownership, participation and teamwork for all
employees," said Thom Bee, general manager of the facility.  He added, "Our
employees have become very efficient at identifying and implementing cost
reductions, and at adopting improvements identified by our quality teams.  All
of the employees here at Lear Winchester are responsible for our success and
for us receiving the Shingo Prize."
    Lear Winchester manufactures plastic automotive interior parts including
door panels, switch plates, cup holders, speaker grilles, quarter panels,
garnish moldings, consoles and map pockets.  The facility, opened in 1976,
totals more than 300,000 square feet and employs nearly 700 people.
    A Fortune 500 Company, Lear Corporation is one of the world's largest
automotive suppliers, with 1997 sales revenues of $7.3 billion.  The company's
world-class products are designed, engineered and manufactured by more than
50,000 employees in over 170 facilities located in 25 countries.  Information
about Lear and its products is available on the Internet at
http://www.lear.com.

SOURCE  Lear Corporation