PPG Named a GM Supplier of the year

The award was presented during ceremonies Saturday at the John Bassett Theater, Toronto. "PPG is an industry role model that through performance has set an example during the past year for other companies to follow," said Bo Andersson, vice president, GM Worldwide Purchasing, Production Control & Logistics. "It is a pleasure to work with a company that excels at meeting our priorities for quality, service, technology and competitive pricing." Representing PPG at the awards ceremony were Charles E. Bunch, executive vice president; Richard Zahren, vice president of automotive coatings; and Ernest A. Hahn, vice president of automotive glass. "Recognition from a customer is the highest performance measure we have," Bunch said. "Our job is all about customer satisfaction. It's especially satisfying to receive this type of recognition from a customer as large and strategically important as GM." Zahren said the three-member management team accepted the award on behalf of the thousands of PPG employees around the world whose day-in-day-out hard work and dedication resulted in the award-winning effort. "We thank each and every employee for their contributions to this achievement," Zahren said. "PPG is dedicated to developing and manufacturing products for GM and providing the absolute best service." Hahn said the award "validates our efforts and serves as testimony to PPG's enduring commitment to quality and customer service." PPG also won GM Supplier of the Year awards for automotive glass in 2000 and 1995, he said. GM's Supplier of the Year initiative began as a global program in 1992. Winners are selected by a global team of executives from purchasing, engineering, manufacturing and logistics who base their decisions on supplier performance in quality, service, technology and price. This year, GM honored 91 suppliers in 18 countries for their excellence throughout 2001. PPG is the world's largest manufacturer of transportation coatings. It makes coatings for GM at facilities in North America, South America, Europe, Australia and in the Asia-Pacific region. PPG products and services are used at most GM facilities. Its coatings are used on the majority of GM vehicles, including Silverado, Sierra, Denali, Tahoe, Suburban, Yukon, LeSabre, Park Avenue, Bonneville, Aurora, Cavalier, Sunfire, Saturn, Savana, Express, Astro, Safari, and beginning in the fall of this year, the all new SSR. PPG is North America's largest manufacturer of original equipment automotive glass and a global supplier for GM. PPG manufactures or fabricates glass for automotive applications at facilities in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Among GM vehicles for which PPG produces glass are Buick Century, Park Avenue, Regal and Rendezvous; Cadillac Deville; Chevrolet Astro, Cavalier, Express, Impala, Joy, Lumina, Malibu, Monte Carlo, Swing and Venture; GMC Safari and Savana; Oldsmobile Aurora, Intrigue and Silhouette; Pontiac Aztek, Bonneville, Grand Prix, Montana and Sunfire, and Saturn ION, LS and LW. In addition to being the world's leading maker of transportation coatings, Pittsburgh-based PPG is a major global supplier of industrial, aerospace and packaging coatings, flat and fabricated glass, continuous-strand fiber glass and chemicals. It is a leading North American supplier of architectural paints. Sales were $8.2 billion in 2001