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Eagle Ottawa Earns Certificate of Achievement From Toyota

6 April 1999

Eagle Ottawa Earns Certificate of Achievement for Quality Performance From Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America Inc.

    ERLANGER, Ky., April 5 -- Eagle Ottawa, the world's leading
producer of automotive leather upholstery, has earned a Certificate of
Achievement for Quality Performance from Toyota Motor Manufacturing North
America Inc. (TMMNA).
    The award was presented during TMMNA's annual Supplier Business Meeting
Ceremony March 18 in Cincinnati.  Awards are given annually to suppliers
providing the highest standards in quality, delivery and value improvement for
parts, materials and transportation.
    Overall, eight North American parts and materials suppliers won Superior
Awards, 21 won Excellent Awards and many received Certificates of Achievement.
    "Toyota's North American suppliers have helped Toyota provide an ongoing
tradition of quality North American-built cars, trucks and minivans," said
Tsugio Kadowaki, vice president of purchasing for TMMNA.  "These suppliers
maintain and often exceed our strict standards for quality."
    TMMNA, Toyota's manufacturing headquarters in Erlanger, Ky., serves as the
parent company for Toyota's North American manufacturing operations.  TMMNA,
which works with approximately 500 suppliers across North America, purchases
over $8 billion per year in U.S. parts and materials.
    Founded in 1865, Eagle Ottawa supplies the leather interiors to more than
65 models worldwide, representing 45 percent of the U.S. market and nearly
one-third of the global market.  Eagle Ottawa specializes in interior trim
components for the automotive industry, focusing strongly on application
support and research and development, as well as continuing to pioneer
environmentally friendly manufacturing.