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Toyota Announces Supplier Awards

18 March 1999

Eight North American Auto Suppliers Earn Highest Awards From Toyota; Professor Charles Fine Addresses Supplier Meeting

    ERLANGER, Ky., March 18 -- AK Steel Corporation of
Middletown, Ohio, achieved special distinction tonight at Toyota's annual
Supplier Business Meeting and Awards Ceremony in Cincinnati.  AK Steel
received two Superior Awards for quality and delivery.  The Superior Award is
the highest possible supplier recognition from Toyota Motor Manufacturing
North America, Inc. (TMMNA).
    In addition to AK Steel, seven other Toyota suppliers also won Superior
Awards tonight for meeting Toyota's highest standards in quality, delivery,
and value improvement for parts, materials, and transportation.
    The other Superior Awards went to A.G. Simpson Automotive, Inc. of
Ontario, Canada; Ambrake Corporation of Elizabethtown, Ky.; Eagle-Picher
Automotive Hillsdale Division of Jonesville, Mich.; Nova Chemicals, Inc. of
Monaca, Pa.; NSK Corporation of Franklin, Ind.; Summit Polymers, Inc. of Mt.
Sterling, Ky.; and U.S. Engine Valve Company of Westminster, S.C.
    The Supplier Business Meeting and Awards Ceremony brings together Toyota's
approximately 500 North American suppliers.  Each year, Toyota purchases more
than $8 billion worth of parts and materials from its North American
suppliers.
    The Superior Awards were presented following an address by Professor
Charles Fine, noted educator and author of Clockspeed, a recent book on supply
chain management.  Fine serves as professor of operations management at MIT's
Sloan School of Management, as well as Associate Director of the Center for
Technology, Policy and Industrial Development.
    He is also Co-director of the International Motor Vehicle Program at MIT.
This program spurred the research that lead to the publication of the landmark
book on lean manufacturing, The Machine That Changed the World by James
Womack.
    Fine spoke to the Toyota suppliers on supply chain management and the
changing dynamics of international business.  He also discussed research from
his book involving the "clockspeed" of various industries.
    Toyota currently manufactures vehicles and parts at eight North American
plants. The Toyota Tundra, the full-size truck made in Indiana, and the Camry
Solara, the coupe made in Canada, were two of the new products displayed at
the event.
    Overall, eight North American parts and materials suppliers won Superior
Awards, 21 won Excellent Awards, and many received Certificates of
Achievement. Receiving Superior and Excellent Awards were:

    Superior Awards
    Supplier         Plant Location        Part/Material    Category

    A.G. Simpson     Cambridge, Ontario,   Stampings        Value Improvement
     Automotive Inc.  Canada

    AK Steel Corp.   Middletown, Ohio      Sheet steel      Delivery, Quality

    Ambrake Corp.    Elizabethtown, Ky.    Brake components Delivery

    Eagle-Picher     Jonesville, Mich.     Damper Pulley    Value Improvement
     Automotive
     Hillsdale
     Division

    Nova Chemicals   Monaca, Pa.           Plastics         Delivery
     Inc.

    NSK Corporation  Franklin, Ind.        Wheel bearings   Quality

    Summit Polymers  Mt. Sterling, Ky.     Quarter vents,   Value Improvement
     Inc.                                   registers

    U.S. Engine
     Valve Co.       Westminster, S.C.     Engine valves    Quality


    Excellent Awards
    Supplier         Plant Location        Part/Material    Category

    Arvin North      Franklin, Ind.        Metal stamping,  Quality
     American                               exhaust manifolds
     Automotive

    Associated       Saline, Mich.         Valve springs    Quality
     Spring
    Barnes Group, Inc

    BASF Corporation Wyandotte, Mich.      Bumper springs   Quality

    Denso Internatl  Anderson, S.C.        Fuel pump        Quality
     America, Inc. -                        assemblies
     Associated Fuel
     Pump Systems Corp

    Federal-Mogul    Greenville, Mich.     Engine bearings  Delivery
     Corporation

    Federal-Mogul    Skokie, Ill.          Gaskets          Delivery
     Corporation -
    Sealing Systems
     Group

    GE Plastics      Selkirk, N.Y.         Plastic resin    Quality

    Intermet Corp.   Lynchburg, Va.        Iron casings     Quality

    Johnson Controls Georgetown, Ky.       Seats            Value Improvement
     Inc.
    Automotive Systems
     Group

    Johnson Controls Toledo, Ohio          Batteries        Delivery
     Inc.
    ASG/Battery

    Liochem, Inc.    Conyers, Ga.          Plastics         Delivery

    Louisville Forge Georgetown, Ky.       Forged steel     Delivery
     and Gear                               crankshafts
     Works, LLC

    MBL (USA) Corp.  Ottawa, Ill.          Timing belts     Quality

    McKechnie        Troy, Mich.                            Value Improvement
     Vehicle
     Components

    NGK-Locke, Inc.  Mooresville, N.C.     Ceramic          Delivery
                                            substrates

    NSK Corporation  Franklin, Ind.        Wheel bearings   Delivery

    Sumitomo         Morgantown, Ky.       Wire harnesses   Value Improvement
     Electric Wiring
     Systems, Inc.

    TRW Fuji Valve,  Sevierville, Tenn.    Engine valves    Delivery
     Inc.

    U.S. Engine      Westminster, S.C.     Engine valves    Delivery
     Valve Co.

    Vuteq Canada Inc Woodstock, Ontario    Package tray,    Value Improvement
                                            moisture,
                                            barriers, door
                                            trim, floor covers

    Yokohama Tire    Salem, Va.            Tires            Delivery
     Corporation