ArvinMeritor Celebrates Detroit Facility Construction Kick-Off; Reconfirms Commitment to the City and the Automotive Industry

21 November 2000
ArvinMeritor Celebrates Detroit Facility Construction Kick-Off; Reconfirms Commitment to the City and the Automotive Industry
    TROY, Mich., Nov. 21 ArvinMeritor, Inc.
celebrated the groundbreaking for its new Light Vehicle System production
facility and Technology Center in Detroit at a reception held at the Detroit
Institute of Arts on Monday, Nov. 20, 2000.  The project reconfirms
ArvinMeritor's commitment to the revitalization of the City of Detroit and to
the automotive industry the company serves.
    During the evening, employees and members of the community previewed the
architectural drawings for the 150,000-square-foot complex and discussed plans
for an educational partnership between ArvinMeritor and neighboring
Southwestern High School.
    The complex, which will include sales, marketing, engineering and
manufacturing operations, is located on a 10-acre brownfield in the Detroit
Renaissance subzone at Fort Street and Rademaker.  The facility is expected to
be completed in mid-2001 and will accommodate approximately 400 employees.
    "We looked long and hard to find a way to make this dream a reality," said
Terry O'Rourke, ArvinMeritor senior vice president and president of the
company's Light Vehicle Business group.  "ArvinMeritor's roots in Detroit go
back a long way.  We opened our first manufacturing plant here in 1909 -- more
than 90 years ago -- and we feel as if we are coming home."
    O'Rourke continued, "The new facility gives us some much-needed space for
future expansion and technology needs and access to the area's skilled
automotive workers.  We are also particularly excited about being closer to
our light vehicle customers and being able to provide them with one-stop
shopping for well-engineered systems and module solutions, as well as with
access to design and manufacturing processes that are second to none.
Finally, this project gives us an opportunity to reach out to our neighbors
and support education in our community.  Because we firmly believe that an
educated workforce is a solid competitive advantage, that's a big plus for
ArvinMeritor."
    ArvinMeritor plans to work with Southwestern High School to provide
educational and co-op opportunities for the students.  Last night, as part of
that educational initiative, Larry Yost, ArvinMeritor's chairman and CEO,
presented the school with a check for $10,000.
    In the communities that are home to ArvinMeritor facilities, the company
seeks to utilize its human and financial resources in partnership with local,
private and public agencies to achieve measurable improvements in the quality
of life.  This is accomplished through a focus on education, cultural
programs, civic responsibility, and health and human services.
    ArvinMeritor, Inc. is a premier $7.7-billion global supplier of a broad
range of integrated systems, modules and components to the transportation
industry.  The company serves light vehicle, commercial truck, trailer and
specialty original equipment manufacturers and related aftermarkets.  In
addition, ArvinMeritor is a leader in coil coating applications, including
those for the transportation, appliance, construction and furniture
industries.  The company is headquartered in Troy, Mich., and employs 36,000
people at more than 150 manufacturing facilities in 26 countries.
ArvinMeritor common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the
ticker symbol ARM.  For more information, visit the company's Web site at:
http://www.arvinmeritor.com