TI AUTOMOTIVE ACQUIRES PIERBURGS ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP UNIT

TI Automotive, a leading supplier of fuel systems, has acquired the electric fuel-pump division of Kolbenschmidt Pierburg AG in Neuss, Germany.

For Immediate Release

TI AUTOMOTIVE ACQUIRES PIERBURGS ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP UNIT

   WARREN, Mich.,– TI Automotive, a leading supplier of fuel systems, has acquired the electric fuel-pump division of Kolbenschmidt Pierburg AG in Neuss, Germany.

Bill Laule, TI Automotives chief executive officer, said the move is designed to enhance the companys global fuel-pump design and manufacturing capabilities. Kolbenschmidt Pierburg is a subsidiary of Rheinmetall AG based in Duesseldorf, Germany.

   Pierburgs electric fuel-pump operations complement TI Automotives existing diesel and gasoline fuel-pump product lines in Europe and North America," Laule noted.
Pierburg currently supplies electric fuel pumps to a number of leading European automobile manufacturers, including DaimlerChrysler, BMW and Volkswagen.

The division has annual sales of approximately 48-million dollars and employs about 100 people at production facilities in Neuss. Headquartered in North America, TI Automotive has production, product development and engineering facilities throughout Europe, including a major research and product development center in Rastatt, Germany.

Laule noted that the acquisition will help TI Automotive meet a growing demand for high pressure fuel-delivery systems, including diesel applications, especially in the high-end of the European market. It also further strengthens the companys position as a leading fuel-system supplier. Financial terms of the acquisition were not released.

Pierburgs products complement our own pumps and give us a market-leading line of fuel-pump designs," added Richard Kolpasky, president of TI Automotives North American operations. Pierburg pumps are ideally suited for use with our new generation of plastic-fuel-tank systems developed to dramatically reduce evaporative emissions and help automobile manufacturers meet strict new global emissions standards."

In combination with a completely new line of fuel pumps now under development at TI Automotive, the Pierburg acquisition will enhance the companys ability to design, develop and manufacture complete, modular fuel-storage and fuel-delivery systems that are favored by automotive OEMs, according to Kolpasky.

He said that TI Automotive will continue to use the highly regarded Pierburg brand name on the product lines it has acquired.

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TI Automotive is the worlds leading supplier of fluid storage, transfer and delivery systems including brake, fuel and air conditioning applications. Based in Warren, Michigan, the company employs more than 21,000 people at more than 130 facilities in 29 countries. Further information about TI Automotive is available on the companys web site at www.tiautomotive.com.

Pierburg AG is a division of Kolbenschmidt Pierburg AG. A subsidiary of Rheinmetall AG, Kolbenschmidt Pierburg is a global supplier of air-supply components; water, oil and vacuum pumps; pistons; plain bearings, and engine blocks. The company has 12,000 employees with global sales of 1.8-billion euros. Additional information is available on the Internet at www.kolbenschmidt-pierburg.com.

Media Contacts:

Andy Anderson
TI Automotive
Phone: +1.586.427.3726
E-Mail: ganderson@us.tiauto.com

Folke Heyer
Rheinmetall AG
Phone: +49.211.473.4550
E-Mail: folke.heyer@rheinmetall-ag.com

Larry Weis
AutoCom Associates
Phone: +1.248.647.8621
E-Mail: lweis@usautocom.com