TRW and Linamar Sign Letter of Intent to Form a Joint Venture

8 March 2000

TRW and Linamar Sign Letter of Intent to Form a Joint Venture to Supply Cylinder Head Modules

    CLEVELAND--March 7, 2000--TRW Inc. and Linamar Corporation today signed a letter of intent to form a joint venture to supply assembled cylinder head modules for engine builders. The 50/50 joint venture will be located in Guelph, Ontario, Canada near Toronto. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
    "By combining the global strength of TRW's engine components business with Linamar's global expertise in machining and assembly," says Jim Remick, executive vice president, engine components, "we plan to become a leader in the supply of fully assembled cylinder heads."
    According to Linamar President Linda Hasenfratz, "We are very pleased that our relationship with TRW on cylinder head modules is being reestablished so successfully. The new scope of the joint venture strictly on the sales, design and assembly of the modules truly levers the independent component strengths of both partners."
    Linamar is a global manufacturer of precision-machined components, assemblies, and castings, primarily for the automotive industry. The company is focused on the highly engineered systems of the vehicle such as engine, transmission, brake, steering, and suspension. With 1999 sales of over $1.2 billion, Linamar employs about 8,500 people in 28 manufacturing facilities and one product development center in Canada, the United States, Mexico and Hungary.
    With 21 engine valve plants in 12 countries, TRW has powertrain engineering centers located in Germany, North America, and the Asia Pacific region. TRW's engine components business develops new lightweight valve train materials and products, works with engine builders to solve problems and enhance performance, and produces more than 300 million valves annually.
    TRW provides advanced technology products and services for the Automotive, Aerospace, and Information Systems markets.
    TRW news releases are available on the Internet through TRW's corporate Web site (http://www.trw.com).