Cooper-Standard Automotive Wins PACE Award Honors

Novi, Mich., October 31, 2006 - Cooper-Standard Automotive's Fluid Systems Division has been recognized for its technical leadership by receiving a 2007 Automotive News PACE Award Honorable Mention for the development of a unique metal-to-plastic fluid connection with industry-leading functionality and customer value.

"Technical excellence and innovation are cornerstones of our business," said Larry Beard, president of the Fluid Systems Division. "I could not be more proud of this team and the organization that supported them in achieving this industry recognition."

The Fluid Systems team consisted of Steve Slunick, product engineer, Dan Baljet, account manager, and Mitch Hunt, design engineer.

The Premier Automotive Suppliers' Contribution to Excellence Award, or PACE Award, is often referred to as the "Academy Award for Innovation" in the automotive industry. Established in 1994, it honors automotive industry suppliers who have embraced innovation or adapted and reinvented themselves to keep abreast of the constantly rising performance bar of the OEM/customer and the rising expectations of consumers.

The winning innovation was inspired by a design feasibility review for an HVAC system heater hose/tube assembly. "During the design evaluation we focused our efforts on improving the manufacturing feasibility and eliminating leak paths," said Steve Slunick. "We devised a metal-to-plastic joint that provided the integrity demanded of the application, and allowed us to design a unique solution with increased functionality and value for our customer," added Mitch Hunt.

Problems with the incumbent design included heavy components, expensive processes, numerous welding operations, and insensitivity to vehicle manufacturing variances. The Cooper-Standard design improved on every issue - a metal manifold was replaced by plastic, brazing was eliminated as were the potential leak paths, and weight and cost were both reduced. In addition to these improvements, flexibility and anti-rotation functions were added to the final component to increase ease of assembly by the vehicle OEM.

"The team was successful in delivering a very unique value proposition - function-up, cost-down," said Dan Baljet.

"We thrive on problem solving at Cooper-Standard, and this team is a great example," said Ed Hasler, president and COO. "We are good at developing innovations like this because of our legacy of technical excellence and the importance we put on maintaining it. We are also successful at capitalizing on innovation because we put an equal amount of emphasis on the follow-through, which ensures that our customers achieve the unique value propositions that we can deliver."


About Cooper-Standard Automotive
Cooper-Standard Automotive Inc., headquartered in Novi, Mich., is a leading global automotive supplier specializing in the manufacture and marketing of systems and components for the automotive industry. Products include body sealing systems, fluid handling systems, and NVH control systems. Cooper-Standard Automotive Inc. employs approximately 19,000 people globally with more than 70 facilities throughout the world. For more information, visit the company's Web site at: www.cooperstandard.com.

Cooper-Standard is a privately-held portfolio company of The Cypress Group and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners Funds.

The Cypress Group is a private equity investment firm managing more than $3.5 billion of capital. Cypress has an extensive track record of making growth-oriented investments in targeted industry sectors and building equity value alongside proven management teams.

Founded in 1869, Goldman Sachs is one of the oldest and largest investment banking firms. Goldman Sachs is also a global leader in private corporate equity and mezzanine investing. Established in 1991, the GS Capital Partners Funds are part of the firm's Principal Investment Area in the Merchant Banking Division. Since 1986, Goldman Sachs' Principal Investment Area has formed 13 investment vehicles aggregating $56 billion of capital to date.