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OEMs to Probe Customer Expectations @ SAE Panel

5 June 2000

    WARRENDALE, Pa. - General Motors and DaimlerChrysler manufacturing executives 
will examine customer expectations on quality, costs and responsiveness at the 
Executive Panel of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Automotive 
Manufacturing Conference and Exposition at 10:15 a.m., Tuesday, June 6 in the 
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Dearborn, Michigan.

    James P. Womack, Founder and President, Lean Enterprise Institute, known
as the guru of lean manufacturing will moderate and participate in the panel.
Other panelists are Guy D. Briggs, Vice President of GM and General Manager GM
Truck Group Operations; Gary L. Henson, Executive Vice President
Manufacturing, DaimlerChrysler Corporation; and David Fischer, President, The
Suburban Collection.

    The panel is planning to discuss not only customer expectations but also
determining what steps industry is taking to meet these requirements.

    Womack has authored or coauthored a series of articles and best-selling
books on lean manufacturing.  Two of his titles are "The Machine That Changed
the World" and "Lean Thinking."  He has had a research affiliation with the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology since 1975.  From 1975-91, he was a
research scientist directing a series of comparative studies of world
manufacturing practices.

    Before his present assignment, Briggs held various positions in
manufacturing, including vice president in charge of manufacturing operations
for GM's Saturn Corporation; manufacturing manager at GM's former Chevrolet-
PontiacGM of Canada (C-P-C) Group; and manager of the Chevrolet engine plant
in Flint, Michigan.

    Gary Henson is responsible for all assembly, stamping, powertrain and
component manufacturing for all Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge and Plymouth branded
products.  He joined DaimlerChrysler in 1994 after working for 32 years at
General Motors, primarily in manufacturing and international operations.

    David T. Fischer has more than 30 years experience in retail sales,
service and leasing of automobiles and trucks.  He is head of an automotive
sales organization with 15 outlets in Troy, Southgate, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo
and Holland, Michigan.  His companies sell GM, Toyota, Volvo, Chrysler-Jeep,
Infiniti and Acura products.

    For more information on AMCE come to the registration area at the Hyatt 
Regency Hotel.