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Hawtal Whiting Named GM 'Supplier of the Year'

20 May 1998

Hawtal Whiting Awarded General Motors 'Supplier of the Year' - Fourth Consecutive Year

    DETROIT, May 19 -- Hawtal Whiting is one of 182 suppliers
recognized by General Motors as a "Supplier of the Year."
    Paul S. Ritchie -- Executive Vice President of the Company's North
American Operations based in Troy, Michigan -- explained that Hawtal Whiting
was very honored to be receiving the award for the fourth consecutive year.
This puts them in a very elite group to have won this award four times.
    "Hawtal Whiting demonstrated throughout 1997 that they are among the 'Best
of the Best' suppliers for Design and Engineering Services," stated Harold R.
Kutner, GM's vice president for Worldwide Purchasing and North American
Production Control & Logistics and host of the awards program.
    "Hawtal Whiting is truly globally competitive and, by virtue of this
award, is recognized as a worldwide leader in product development, technology,
manufacturing, continuous improvement, value and most importantly, quality,"
added Kutner.
    General Motors Worldwide Purchasing honored 182 supplier companies
April 25 in Mexico City, with the 1997 GM Supplier of the Year award.  This is
the sixth year for GM's program that recognizes supplier companies worldwide
who exceed specific performance standards in the areas of quality, service and
price.
    Joining Kutner for the presentations and award ceremonies were John F.
"Jack" Smith, Jr., GM Chairman, CEO and President and G. Richard Wagoner, Jr.,
GM executive vice president and president of North American Operations.
    The 182 companies receiving the 1997 award were selected from a GM
supplier base of more than 30,000 supplier companies.  The 1997 award winners
represent 25 countries.
    Companies recognized were selected by teams of purchasing, quality,
engineering and manufacturing experts from GM operations around the world.
The teams reviewed supplier performance in quality, service and price during
the 1997 calendar year.
    The GM Supplier of the Year awards are a long-standing tradition at GM.
The awards began in Germany over twenty years ago and were expanded to all of
GM Europe in 1989.  The Supplier of the Year awards became an international
award in 1992.