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First North American Automotive Glass Supplier Earns ISO14001 Certification

3 February 2000

First North American Automotive Glass Supplier Earns ISO14001 Certification

    ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky., Feb. 2 -- AP Technoglass Company, one of
America's fastest growing automotive glass suppliers, became this country's
first auto glass company, and only the 711th U.S. manufacturing company
overall, to receive ISO14001 certification December 29, 1999.  During
commemorative ceremonies here February 2, 2000, BSI, Inc. Vice President,
Melvin Greer, presented AP's Kentucky plant Manager Joe Hargrove with the
ISO14001 certificate.  Accepting "on behalf of AP associates," Hargrove said:
"Our trek towards ISO14001 actually began prior to the certification process.
AP Technoglass has always been very conscious about the environment. We have
been working on ways to reduce waste with our suppliers, customers and
associates for years. So, this became a natural path for us to follow. Since
last March, AP associates have invested in excess of 1,200 man hours of
training, assessment and procedural updates. A notable result of their efforts
reclassified our half-million square foot facility from a large quantity
generator to a small quantity generator of hazardous waste."
    AP Technoglass President, Jay Strong, citing the company's long record of
customer quality awards, singled out AP associates' dedication as the
driving force behind ISO14001 certification: "Our associates understand what
it takes to be a successful automotive supplier, to compete successfully in
a highly-competitive, global marketplace. Countless customer quality awards
proves that. Our associates also demonstrated their "beyond compliance"
dedication to the BSI examiner by recording total nonconformances of 0.
That solid commitment continues to earn AP Technoglass a clear, sustainable
quality advantage as we move forward."
    With their certification, AP Technoglass joins the short list of 14 other
Kentucky manufacturing facilities (according to The Kentucky Manufacturers
Directory, there are 5,824 Kentucky-located manufacturing companies) that
have achieved ISO 14001 standards.
    AP Technoglass manufactures automotive glass for domestic and export
markets at plants in Elizabethtown, Kentucky and Bellefontaine, Ohio.