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Budd Names New Vice Presidents

13 November 2000

Budd Names New Vice Presidents

    TROY, Mich., Nov. 13 The Budd Company today announced the
promotions of Harold T. Hoffman and Marion M. Helmes to vice president of the
Troy, Mich.-based automotive supplier.  Both executives will report to
Siegfried Buschmann, Budd's Chairman and CEO.
    Hoffman, a 26-year veteran of The Budd Company, will become Vice
President, Information Technology and will lead the Company's efforts in e-
commerce and all related information technology issues.  Helmes becomes Vice
President, Corporate Development, with responsibility for corporate mergers,
acquisitions, and corporate strategic planning.  Both appointments will be
effective December 1, 2000.
    Hoffman joined the Budd Company in 1975 as a data processing analyst and
held a number of increasingly important positions including corporate manager
systems development and manager of MIS.  He has an undergraduate degree in
business administration from Sienna Heights College in Adrian, Mich., and a
MBA degree from Michigan State University.  He is active in the Society of
Information Managers and the Automotive Industry Action Group.  He, his wife,
Connie, and their two children reside in Clarkston, Mich.
    Helmes, a native of Germany, joined The Budd Company in January 2000 from
ThyssenKrupp AG, Budd's parent company in Dusseldorf, Germany, where she was
Corporate Senior Project Manager, Mergers and Acquisitions Department.  Helmes
received her undergraduate degree in business administration from Berlin
University and a Doctorate in Economics from St. Gallen University.  Before
joining ThyssenKrupp she held a number of controller and financial consultant
positions.  She resides in Birmingham, Mich.
    Budd produces components such as doors, fenders, roofs, hoods, and
decklids in sheet metal as well as in sheet molded composite (SMC), and
aluminum, gray iron and ductile iron castings for about 100 current vehicle
models.  Budd also makes prototypes, chassis frames, subframes and modules,
bumpers and bumper reinforcements, cold weather starting and heating products,
and air bag components for the automotive industry.
    Budd is part of the ThyssenKrupp Automotive Group, a $5.6 billion supplier
providing body systems, chassis and, powertrain components and
systems/suspensions to the automotive industry worldwide.  Budd operates 39
facilities with more than 13,000 employees in North America.  In addition, the
company has offices in Stuttgart, Germany, and Tokyo, Japan.