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MTD Automotive and Midwest Acoust-A-Fiber Create MTD Thermal Solutions

11 March 1999

MTD Automotive and Midwest Acoust-A-Fiber Create MTD Thermal Solutions

    CLEVELAND, March 11 -- MTD Automotive and Midwest
Acoust-A-Fiber today announced an agreement creating a fifty-fifty joint
venture, limited liability company called MTD Thermal Solutions.
    David Colburn, president of MTD Automotive and Jerry Wolf, president of
Acoust-A-Fiber, made the announcement.
    "Under this agreement, MTD will be able to provide full service,
engineering driven heat management solutions to its customers," according
to Mr. Colburn.  "This will also expand our customer base and supply a
high-quality product line to the heat management sector of the automotive
industry."
    Mr. Wolf commented, "The Acoust-A-Fiber/MTD Automotive combination will
enable both companies to keep abreast of the changing technology at a pace
quicker than either could accomplish individually."
    Under terms of the joint venture agreement, the effective date of the
created company is March 9, 1999.
    MTD Automotive, a QS 9000 supplier, is a leading manufacturer and global
supplier of automotive component systems.  With its efforts concentrated on
two core competencies -- structural underbody systems (including bumper,
chassis and underbody modules) and powertrain systems (including oil pans,
transmission pans, valve cover and heat management modules) -- MTD Automotive
provides innovative system solutions to the customer.
    Midwest Acoust-A-Fiber, based in Delaware, Ohio, is one of the nation's
leading automotive thermal solutions providers.  The company provides a full
range of in house engineering capabilities from product development and
engineering to stampings, assemblage, molding, trimming and fabrication.
    For more information on MTD Thermal Solutions call 216-267-2600,
http://www.mtdproducts.com or 740-369-3624, http://www.acoust-a-fiber.com.