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Johnson Controls Subsidiary Gains Industry Honor

9 November 2000

Johnson Controls Subsidiary Gains Industry Honor As 'Highest Quality Seat Supplier' for Year 2000

Vehicle seats manufactured by Ikeda Bussan
gain top rank in J.D. Power and Associates study

    PLYMOUTH, Mich., Nov. 9 Ikeda Bussan Company, which became
a wholly owned subsidiary of Johnson Controls in September 2000,
manufactured the highest-quality seat systems for model-year 2000 vehicles
sold in North America. That's the conclusion of a major seat quality study
conducted by J.D. Power and Associates.
    The California-based marketing information firm ranked Ikeda Bussan this
year's "Highest Quality Original Equipment Seat Supplier," based on a survey
of more than 100,000 new-vehicle owners. For the 2000 model year, the Johnson
Controls subsidiary supplied complete seat systems for six U.S.-market
vehicles: the Nissan Maxima, Nissan Pathfinder, Infiniti G20, Infiniti I30,
Infiniti QX4, and Infiniti Q45.
    "As a leading, global supplier of automotive interior systems, we have a
strong commitment to quality," said Rande Somma, president of North America
for the Automotive Systems Group of Johnson Controls. "We're thrilled that
Ikeda Bussan has been honored for top performance in a study that, in effect,
establishes our industry's benchmarks for seat quality."
    The 2000 Seat Quality Report provides manufacturers and suppliers with
information on new vehicle quality and satisfaction during important early
months of the model year, as well as the initial part of the ownership cycle.
New vehicle quality is expressed in "things gone wrong" (TGW), while
satisfaction is expressed in "things gone right" (TGR).
    In the investigation of vehicle seats, 11 major suppliers were ranked in
order of quality, based on TGW per 100 vehicles, as reported by study
respondents. A total of 101,768 owners of model-year 2000 vehicles were
surveyed.
    Ikeda Bussan was the top quality performer with a TGW rating of 5.4. The
overall average TGW rating among the 11 seat system suppliers reviewed was
8.8.
    Johnson Controls acquired a controlling interest in Japan-based Ikeda
Bussan last September, as it paid about $90 million for approximately 90
percent of the company's outstanding shares. Prior to the acquisition, the two
companies maintained a long-term business relationship, operating joint
ventures in the United States and the United Kingdom that supplied seat
systems and interior components for Nissan vehicles.
    "A few months ago, we welcomed the products, technologies and people of
Ikeda Bussan as a valuable addition to the worldwide team of Johnson
Controls," said Somma. "The 'Highest Quality Seat Supplier Award' reconfirms
the value and strength of the Ikeda Bussan operations."
    With headquarters in Agoura Hills, California, J.D. Power and Associates
is a global marketing information firm that operates in key business sectors,
including market research, forecasting, consulting, training and customer
satisfaction. The firm's quality and customer satisfaction measurements are
based on actual responses from millions of consumers annually.