Freudenberg-NOK Executive Honored as One of Automotive News' 100 Leading Women in the North American Automotive Industry

11 September 2000
Freudenberg-NOK Executive Honored as One of Automotive News' 100 Leading Women in the North American Automotive Industry
    PLYMOUTH, Mich., Sept. 11 In recognition of her leadership
in the auto industry and dedication to the success of Freudenberg-NOK, Sharon
S. Wenzl, vice president of corporate relations for Freudenberg-NOK, has been
named one of Automotive News' 100 leading women in the North American
automotive industry.
    A member of the company's senior operating staff, Wenzl is responsible for
directing corporate communications, public affairs and human resources
activities.  She has worked for Freudenberg-NOK since 1990.
    Wenzl has been a key player in transforming Freudenberg-NOK from a
virtually unknown into a highly respected, benchmark company whose name is
synonymous with success.  She helped in the initial development -- and
continual promotion internally and externally -- of the company's highly
recognized lean systems program called GROWTTH(R), an acronym for Get Rid Of
Waste Through Team Harmony.  By driving quality up and cost down, this program
has helped the company to double its sales since 1992 to $1 billion.
    Wenzl has also been instrumental in helping Freudenberg-NOK share this
program throughout the auto industry.  In addition, she is active in industry,
community and civic activities with the Arthritis Foundation, the Michigan
Manufacturing Technology Center (MMTC) and the Michigan Automotive
Partnership, along with several education related initiatives.
    Wenzl earned a bachelor's degree in communications from Michigan State
University in 1981 and a master's degree in communications from Eastern
Michigan University in 1983.  She also has done postgraduate work at Boston
University and has participated in American Management Association executive
courses and seminars.
    The 100 women award recipients were selected following a long process of
nominations and judging.  Several hundred nominations were received via
solicitations on the automotivenews.com web site and through stories in
Automotive News.  The final list was honed to 100 executives by a selection
committee of six experts.
    The winners will be recognized by Automotive News Publisher Keith Crain on
September 19 at an industry dinner at The Ritz-Carlton, Dearborn.  A portion
of the proceeds from the dinner will benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer
Foundation.
    Published every Monday by its parent company Crain Communications,
Automotive News is written for automakers, suppliers, dealers and others
allied with the automotive industry.  Automotive News has more than 45 editors
and reporters worldwide.  Celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2000, the
publication has more than 81,000 paid subscribers.  It is headquartered in
Detroit.
    Plymouth, Mich.-based Freudenberg-NOK is part of the Freudenberg and NOK
Group Companies, which have total annual sales of nearly $7 billion.  With
global automotive sales of approximately $4 billion, the Freudenberg and NOK
Group ranks among the 15 largest OEM automotive suppliers (per Crain's Detroit
Business) 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
(according to Automotive News).
    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