Guide Corporation Launches Automotive Lighting Business
3 November 1998
Guide Corporation Launches Automotive Lighting Business
ANDERSON, Ind., Nov. 3 -- The Guide Corporation officially
launched one of the world's largest and most innovative automotive lighting
businesses when it assumed operating responsibility for three former Delphi
Automotive Systems facilities.
Michael N. Hammes, Guide Corporation Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
will head the Anderson, Indiana-based company which has an Engineering Center,
a Signal Lighting Division and a Forward Lighting Division. Guide currently
has manufacturing facilities in Anderson, Indiana (Signal Lighting), Monroe,
Louisiana (Forward Lighting) and Mexico (Lighting).
Palladium Equity Partners, LLC affiliates invested significant equity
capital in order to help launch Guide. Palladium is a New York-based, private
investment firm that acquires and builds companies in partnership with
experienced operating executives and management.
"The Guide Corporation is an independent, Tier One automotive supplier
focused on lighting systems," Hammes said. "We now have the people,
technology and commitment to become the world's premier designer and
manufacturer of automotive lighting systems. We think that's good news for
all of us who are part of this new company, for our customers and for vehicle
drivers throughout the world."
Hammes has more than 25 years of senior management experience in the
automobile industry. He held several senior positions at Ford Motor Company,
including President of its European Truck Division. He was President of
Chrysler International from 1986 until 1990. He also served as Chairman and
CEO of the Coleman Company and was Vice Chairman of the Black & Decker
Corporation and President of its Worldwide Power Tool Group.
Several other experienced automotive lighting industry executives are
joining Guide in key positions.
Jeffrey D. Mickel joins Guide as Vice President and Chief Engineer. He
has held a number of management positions at Valeo Sylvania, Inc. (formerly
Osram Sylvania and GTE Sylvania), including Engineering Manager, and most
recently, Director of Engineering and Research & Development.
Also joining Guide are Allan D. Small as Vice President of Quality and
Ronald A. Wheat as Director of Sales & Marketing. Small, who has more than 25
years in manufacturing quality, has been Vice President of Total Quality
Management at Cooper Industries-Automotive. Wheat joins Guide from North
American Lighting, Inc., where he was OEM Sales Manager.
Dennis Stachelski joins Guide as the Senior Vice President of Human
Resources during the transition. He held a variety of management positions
during 36 years at Ford Motor Company.
James F. Johnson has been named the Guide Corporation's Chief information
Officer. He joins the company from the Fort James Corporation where he was a
director managing all North American applications development and support.
Keith F. Merrill, who joins Guide from Delphi Interior & Lighting Systems
in Columbus, Ohio, will be President of Guide's Signal Lighting Division.
Steven L. Murray, who has been the manager of Delphi's Monroe, Louisiana
plant, will be President of the Forward Lighting Division.
The transfer of the former Delphi facilities allows the Guide Corporation
to sell to automobile manufacturers throughout the world. It currently
supplies lighting products to General Motors and a variety of customers
including Toyota and Isuzu. The company had sales of $665 million in 1997.
The Guide Corporation has more than 3,600 employees -- approximately 2,800
at the Anderson facility and more than 800 at the Monroe plant.
The Signal Lighting Division designs and manufactures products for
exterior automotive lighting systems such as tail lamps, cornering lamps, turn
signal lamps, reflex panels, appliques, center high-mounted stop lights
(CHMSLs) and license lamps. The company also has the largest multi-color
plastic injection molding capability in the world.
Guide's Forward Lighting Division designs and manufactures high intensity
discharge (HID) headlamps, composite headlamps with both lens optics and
reflector optics and the traditional sealed beam glass units.
The Guide Corporation boasts an experienced work force and facilities with
a long, illustrious history in the automotive lighting business.
The company started as the Guide Motor Lamp Manufacturing Company in 1906
in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1908, the company introduced the first successful
electric automotive headlamp, and in 1923, the first completely engineered
headlamp. Other firsts for the company include a multi-beam headlamp, turn
signals and the sealed beam headlamp.
General Motors purchased Guide in 1928 and centralized its
operations in Anderson, Indiana, in 1930. Through the years, the Guide
Division of General Motors has been a leading producer of exterior automotive
headlamps and electronic light controls.
Hammes says the new, independent Guide Corporation will continue its
leadership role.
"We will continue to develop and invest in leading-edge technology," he
said. "We have the engineering capability to develop the innovative products
our customers require, and an experienced work force able to manufacture
cost-effective products with the world-class quality that will keep the Guide
Corporation at the top of the automotive lighting industry."