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Freudenberg-NOK's Manchester Facility Receives DaimlerChrysler Corp. Gold Award

31 May 2000

Freudenberg-NOK's Manchester Facility Receives DaimlerChrysler Corp. Gold Award

    PLYMOUTH, Mich., May 31 In recognition of meeting or
exceeding stringent standards for supplying DaimlerChrysler Corp. with
gaskets, seals and chassis products, Freudenberg-NOK's Manchester, N.H.
facility was recently presented with the automaker's Gold Award for the fourth
year in a row.
    The award -- formerly called the Gold Pentastar Award -- recognizes
suppliers who consistently achieve world-class performance in the areas of
customer support, quality, delivery and minority sourcing.
    The Freudenberg-NOK facility in Cleveland, Ga. also received the Gold
Award for the fourth consecutive year.
    "This award is truly a symbol of extraordinary achievement for the
associates at Manchester," said Richard E. Allen, CEO of Freudenberg-NOK's
Automotive Sector.  "Through an on-going commitment to our company-wide lean
systems program -- called GROWTTH -- our overall defective parts per million
(PPM) rates have dropped to less than 100 and as the company continues to
improve its processes through kaizen activities, we have targeted PPM rates
this year of 25 or less."
    Freudenberg-NOK's Manchester plant produces powertrain gaskets, bonded
piston seals and chassis components such as microcellular polyurethane jounce
bumpers and body mounts.  The 150,000-square-foot plant employs approximately
550 associates.
    Plymouth, Mich.-based Freudenberg-NOK is part of the Freudenberg and NOK
Group Companies, which have total annual sales of nearly $7.0 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