TI Automotive Opens New Facility in Hart County

ATLANTA, GA - Governor Sonny Perdue announced today that TI Automotive is investing more than $30 million to locate a manufacturing facility to produce fuel-tank systems in Hart County. The plant will manufacture blow-molded plastic fuel tanks and filler pipes for vehicles built in nearby southern states by BMW and an Asia-based automaker. The plant initially will employ 100 people and produce 350,000 automotive fuel-tank systems annually. Groundbreaking ceremonies for the 145,000-square-foot plant took place today.

"TI Automotive's continued investment in Georgia means more jobs for our citizens and further demonstrates that our state is a great place to do business," said Governor Sonny Perdue. "I am pleased to see that another one of our existing customers is expanding their business operations in Georgia ."

The TI Automotive site in the regional Gateway High Tech Industrial Park was developed through the Joint Development Authority of Hart, Stephens, and Franklin counties in part through a State of Georgia Edge Grant of $650,000, funded through the OneGeorgia Authority. Training for many of the facility's high-tech operators will be provided by the state's Quick Start program through North Georgia Technical College .

"We've been most heartened by the warm reception and the strong spirit of cooperation we've had in making our site selection," said Brian Lindsay, TI Automotive managing director, Commercial-Global Fuel Systems Group. "And we welcome the opportunity to play our part in the growth of Hart, Franklin, and Stephens counties."

The all-new TI Automotive facility will have two blow-molding press lines with an annual capacity to produce one million fuel tanks. The plant will use an innovative blow-molded filler-pipe process, a first for a North American automotive supplier. It will be the first TI Automotive facility to incorporate the assembly of fuel tank components, filler pipes, and tanks under one roof.

TI Automotive is the world's leading supplier of fluid storage, transfer and delivery systems including brake, fuel, and air conditioning applications. Based in Warren , Michigan , the company employs over 20,000 people at more than 130 facilities in 29 countries on six continents. The company's sales in 2003 totaled nearly $3 billion. TI Automotive also employs 250 Georgians at their facility in Cartersville where the company manufactures custom metal automobile gas & brake fluid lines. Further information about TI Automotive is available on the company's website at www.tiautomotive.com.