Freudenberg-NOK Receives NUMMI'S Triple Crown Award for Cost, Quality and Delivery

7 April 2000
Freudenberg-NOK Receives NUMMI'S Triple Crown Award for Cost, Quality and Delivery

    PLYMOUTH, Mich., April 7 Freudenberg-NOK recently won the
NUMMI Triple Crown Excellence Award in recognition of excellence for supplying
the New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. (NUMMI) during 1999.
    Freudenberg-NOK was one of only five suppliers chosen from NUMMI's 240
tier one suppliers to receive this award, which recognizes suppliers who
consistently achieve excellence in cost, quality and delivery.
    "It's an honor to be chosen by NUMMI for an award recognizing our
achievement in meeting or exceeding their performance goals," said Richard E.
Allen, CEO of Freudenberg-NOK's Automotive Sector.  "This award acknowledges
our company's quest for excellence and serves as a testament to our employees,
our technology and our continuing commitment to lean systems to drive further
delivery, quality and cost improvements."
    A Technology Specialist in sealing packages, Freudenberg-NOK supplies
NUMMI with axle seals produced at manufacturing facilities in Bristol, N.H.
and LaGrange, Ga.
    New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc., the Toyota-General Motors joint
venture, is located in Fremont, California.  Established in 1984, the
company's 4,500 team members build a total of 365,000 cars and trucks
annually, including the Chevrolet Prizm, the Toyota Corolla and the Toyota
Tacoma pickup truck.
    Plymouth, Mich.-based Freudenberg-NOK is part of the Freudenberg and NOK
Group Companies, which have total annual sales of more than $6.5 billion.
With global automotive sales of approximately $4 billion, the Freudenberg and
NOK Group ranks among the world's top 20 automotive suppliers and is one of
only eight in the top 100 that has global balance in each of the three major
automotive markets -- Asia, Europe and North America.
    Through a global network of facilities spanning 27 countries with some
23,000 automotive employees worldwide, the supplier group offers its
automotive customers globally integrated products, including sealing packages
for transmissions, engines, brakes, axles and steering, NVH (noise, vibration
and harshness) components and packages, and all rubber, plastic and PTFE
components for suspension, electrical and fuel systems.
    The Freudenberg and NOK Group also offers an extensive portfolio of
precision-molded products for the aerospace, appliance, business machine,
fluid power, marine, medical, off-highway equipment and recreational vehicle
markets.  For more information, visit the Freudenberg-NOK web site at
http://www.freudenberg-nok.com