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Behr America to Build New Headquarters & Technical Center in Michigan

10 January 2000

Behr America to Build New Headquarters & Technical Center in Michigan

    WALLED LAKE, Mich., Jan. 7 -- Behr America will build its new
headquarters and technical center in Troy, Michigan, according to Hans Lange,
president, Behr America, Inc.
    "We are excited about our new home town," Lange said.  "This headquarters
facility, which includes research, development, design and engineering, brings
our capabilities to the immediate area of our North American OEM customers."
    Construction will start in March, 2000 and be completed in June, 2001.  It
is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2001.  Plans call for the
creation of 105 jobs, most of them professional.  Another 97 jobs are expected
to be created with spin-offs from increased purchases by Michigan suppliers,
according to an economic analysis by the University of Michigan.
    The engineering, research and development operations will be under the
direction of Joseph Kern, group head of Behr's advanced engineering, Lange
announced.
    "Mr. Kern brings extensive research and development experience to our
North American operations," Lange said.
    The Behr Group, with headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, has operations in
eight countries.  It generated 3.0 billion DM in sales in 1998, and employs
12,500 worldwide.  It is the leading European supplier of automotive air
conditioning and engine cooling systems.
    Behr America, Inc. is the group's unit in North America with headquarters
presently in Charleston, SC, and marketing offices in Walled Lake, MI, with
plants in Fort Worth, TX, Charleston, SC, Canton, SD, and Webberville, MI.