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Standard Products Recognizes Winners of 1998 Chairman's Award of Excellence

23 September 1998

Standard Products Recognizes Winners of 1998 Chairman's Award of Excellence

    DEARBORN, Mich., Sept. 22 -- The Standard Products Company
announced the winners of its 1998 Chairman's Award of Excellence
at ceremonies in Huron, Ohio, last week.  The annual awards program recognizes
selected individuals and teams from throughout the Company for their
accomplishments.  Criteria for selection include continuous improvement,
innovation, financial impact, customer service, team orientation and
leadership.
    The 1998 Chairman's Award winner in the individual category was Alfonso
Lopez, director of manufacturing engineering, of Oliver Rubber Company,
Athens, Georgia.  Oliver is a wholly owned subsidiary of Standard Products.
Lopez was honored for successfully managing a major expansion project at
Oliver's Asheboro, North Carolina, tread rubber production facility.
    "Thanks to Al's engineering and project management skills, we were able to
specify, lay out and install an entire rubber extrusion, pressing and
finishing department at Asheboro on time and within budget," said Ron
Roudebush, Standard Products' vice chairman and chief executive officer.
"Al's reputation and proven leadership ability to handle major installations
contributed to securing the business that the expansion will support.  Prior
to joining our Oliver subsidiary, Al was also instrumental in the construction
of our new plants in Brazil and Mexico."
    The winner of the 1998 Chairman's Award in the team category was a cross-
functional program team at Standard Products' Rocky Mount, North Carolina,
automotive plant.  Working on a major vehicle sealing program, the team
succeeded in reducing production time by 25 percent, doubling operational
efficiency and cutting defects to less than 10 parts per million.  The team
also developed a new process that resulted in a 73 percent reduction in rework
and improved the durability of the part to achieve easier assembly and
handling.
    "The team members who worked on these improvements each brought his or her
expertise to bear in a creative and innovative manner," said Roudebush.
"These changes resulted in improved profitability for the Company and
increased customer satisfaction."
    Runners-up in the individual category were Willard Brown, program manager
at Standard Products' Gaylord, Michigan, plant, and Melissa Wettlaufer, Low
Cost Producer Strategy coach at the Company's plant 1 in Stratford, Ontario.
    Runners-up in the team category were the cross functional splicing team at
the Scottsburg, Indiana, plant of Holm Industries, a wholly owned subsidiary
of Standard Products, and Standard Products' Chrysler SCORE team.
    "All of this year's Chairman's Award of Excellence winners represent the
type of individual effort and teamwork that we strive to foster throughout
Standard Products," said Roudebush.
    Standard Products produces highly engineered polymer-based products and
systems on a global basis for the automotive, appliance and construction
industries.  More information may be found on the Internet at
http://www.standardproducts.com.