DETROIT, March 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Aisin World Corp. of America (AWA), one
of the world's leading Tier One automotive components suppliers, today
announced that total sales of Aisin Group companies in North America exceeded
$1.5 billion in 2003.  The announcement was made by AWA President Junichi
Nishimura at the 2004 SAE World Congress in Detroit.
    "We have been on the fast track in North America and have developed strong
relationships with our original equipment manufacturer partners," said
Nishimura.  "In 2001, AWA sales were less than $1 billion; today I am pleased
to announce that we are projecting to exceed $2 billion in sales by 2005 and
$2.7 billion in sales by 2007."
    Nishimura said the company's rapid growth is primarily due to a steady
increase in Toyota business, consisting largely of body components, coupled
with the expansion of manual and auto transmission business with the Big Three
and Toyota, plus the incremental growth of business in sunroofs.
    "Aisin's body components and sunroof unit is currently our largest North
American business segment," said Nishimura.  "All body components sold by AWA
to North American customers are produced locally at our four North American
manufacturing facilities," he said.
    Nishimura added that Aisin's drive train business segment has experienced
dramatic growth and is expected to supply well over 500,000 manual and
automatic transmissions to OEMs in 2005.
    To keep pace with its business expansion, Aisin has established and
expanded several production facilities, including:

    1. Aisin Light Metal, Inc., Marion, Ill. - established in August 2003 for
the production of aluminum extrusions;
    2. Aisin Automotive Casting Tennessee, LLC, Clinton, Tenn. - established
in January 2004 as Aisin's second engine components plant;
    3. Advics North America - purchased two manufacturing facilities: Advics
Manufacturing, Inc., Lebanon, Ohio, and SAFA, LLC, LaGrange, Georgia
    4. AW North Carolina, Inc., Durham, NC - this facility is expanding its
production capacity and will start assembly of complete automatic
transmissions in May 2005.

    Based in Plymouth, Mich., AWA is a subsidiary of the Aisin Group, headed
by Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. with corporate offices in Kariya City, Aichi, Japan.
The Aisin Group is a Tier One supplier of automotive components such as body
parts, drive train components, engine related parts, brakes and chassis parts,
and information related products with more than 44,000 employees worldwide.
In North America, the Aisin group has 24 manufacturing, R & D and sales
centers and employs some 6,400 associates.  The company expects to employ well
over 10,000 associates by 2007.

    Press Contacts:  Joe Rohatynski
                     Rohatynski PR Consulting
                     313-378-6570
                     joe@joepr.com

                     John Koenig
                     Aisin World Corp. of America
                     310-874-5823
                     jdkking@aol.com

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