Dearborn, Mich.,17 Mar 1999 (ots-PRNewswire) - The Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) awarded its highest recognition -- the World Excellence Award -- to 47 suppliers for their superior performance in respective categories in 1998.
World Excellence Awards are a new, annual recognition based on quality, cost and delivery metrics that were jointly developed by Ford and its suppliers. The 47 suppliers from seven countries won 65 awards in various categories. "These suppliers are world-class -- an exclusive club of Ford's top partners. They made extraordinary contributions to Ford that helped make 1998 a very successful year and helped deliver high quality and value to our customers," said Carlos Mazzorin, Group Vice President of Purchasing and Ford of Mexico. "Performance like this deserves to be recognized."
The awards were presented at a special dinner last night honoring the winners and attended by about 125 of Ford's largest production and non-production suppliers from around the world.

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (ots-PRNewswire),  March 17 - Lear Corporation (NYSE: LEA) announced today that it has signed a definitive purchase agreement with United Technologies Corporation (NYSE: UTX) to acquire UT Automotive, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Hartford, Connecticut-based United Technologies Corporation (UTC) for $ 2.3 billion.

UT Automotive is one of the world's leading suppliers of electrical, electronic, motor, and interior products and systems to the global automotive industry. Electrical components and systems make up about 75 percent of the company's overall business, with interior trim representing the balance. Headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, UT Automotive has annual sales of $ 3 billion, 44,000 employees, and 90 manufacturing facilities in 18 countries.

Lear Corporation, a Fortune 500 company, is one of the world's largest automotive suppliers, with 1998 sales of $ 9.1 billion. The company's world- class automotive interior products are designed, engineered and manufactured by more than 60,000 employees in over 200 facilities located in 28 countries. Information about Lear and its products is available on the Internet at http://www.lear.com.

United Technologies Corporation is a $ 25.7-billion corporation that provides a broad range of high-technology products and support services to customers in the aerospace, building and automotive industries worldwide. UTC's best-known products include Pratt & Whitney aircraft engines, Otis elevators, Carrier heating and air conditioning systems, Sikorsky helicopters, Hamilton Standard aerospace systems and UT Automotive components and systems. The corporation also supplies equipment and services to the U.S. space program.