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Lear/Bing Joint Venture to Build Rear Seats for Ford Explorer Sport Utility Vehicle

22 December 1997

Lear/Bing Joint Venture to Build Rear Seats for Ford Explorer Sport Utility Vehicle in Detroit's Empowerment Zone

    SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Dec. 22 -- Lear Corporation
announced today that its joint venture with Bing Manufacturing, Detroit
Automotive Interiors (DAI), has been selected by Ford Motor Company
to build rear seat assemblies for the Ford Explorer compact sport utility
vehicle.  DAI will manufacture the seats for Explorers built at Ford's
St. Louis Assembly Plant, ship them to Lear St. Louis where the front seats
are built, and sequence them into Ford's St. Louis assembly plant.  Start-up
for the DAI Explorer rear seats is scheduled for April 1998.
    The Bing Group is Detroit's largest minority-owned supplier, with over 600
employees.  The DAI joint venture, founded in 1996, is located in Detroit's
Empowerment Zone.  The 40,000 square foot facility has 113 employees.  The
additional business is expected to add approximately 30 employees to the
work force.
    "I am extremely pleased for the support of Ford and Lear relative to
minority development," said Dave Bing, President of Bing Manufacturing.  He
added, "As DAI moves forward, I'm sure that I can continue to get their
support and, hopefully, spread that support to other OEM's and Tier 1
customers."
    "The contract from Ford to build Explorer rear seats is a great boost for
DAI, and it affirms Lear's lead in Tier 1 sourcing to minority suppliers,"
said Terry O'Rourke, group vice president, Lear Ford Division.  He added,
"Lear will spend $100 million with minority sources in 1997, and we will add
to that number next year."
    "Ford continues its industry-leading support of minority suppliers through
this contract," said Carlos Mazzorin, vice president purchasing, Ford Motor
Company.  "And we offer another example of our commitment to the city of
Detroit.  Ford purchases more goods and services, more than $2 billion, from
minority-owned suppliers than any other corporation."
    Ford has developed special programs to assist and strengthen minority
suppliers.  For example, Ford created a Technical Assistance Program, which
provides short-term technical assistance to minority suppliers using
automotive industry retirees.  Ford also has a financial assistance program
and other minority development programs such as a minority opportunity
forum, which last year brought together more than 120 minority and 100 Tier 1
companies to explore sourcing opportunities.
    A Fortune 250 Company, Lear Corporation is one of the world's largest
automotive suppliers, with 1996 sales of $6.2 billion.  The Company's world
class products are designed, engineered and manufactured by more than 50,000
employees in over 160 facilities located in 24 countries.  Information about
Lear and its products is available on the Internet at http://www.lear.com.

SOURCE  Lear Corporation