Faurecia Co-Sponsors National Manufacturing Day to Raise Awareness of Jobs in Today's High-Tech Manufacturing Environment

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Oct. 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Faurecia, North America's fifth-largest automotive supplier, today demonstrated its support for National Manufacturing Day (#MFGday) by becoming a sponsor of the Oct. 4 event. National Manufacturing Day is the outcome of a movement among U.S. manufacturers dedicated to overcoming America's skilled labor gap, which now has reached 600,000 unfilled manufacturing jobs, according to organizers of the event. The initiative also seeks to provide students and others with a more realistic view of today's manufacturing operations, which are much more high-tech and desirable than the prevalent public perceptions of production jobs.

"The work of our employees at Faurecia operations across North America reflects the new course of manufacturing, as we develop innovative systems and products that help automakers meet tighter fuel economy standards and provide new levels of comfort and convenience for drivers and passengers," said Michael Heneka, president of Faurecia North America. "Faurecia is committed to supporting our workforce with training in work skills that will advance their careers and our industry, and we anticipate that National Manufacturing Day will help connect us with the manufacturing talent our nation needs for its future growth."

Faurecia has been a global leader in advancing manufacturing processes, from lighter-weight brazed exhaust systems and exhaust-heat recovery technology to high-tech interiors, seats that automatically adjust to each driver, injection technologies for lighter instrument panels, and carbon-fiber composites for exterior components. Employees at Faurecia plants practice the principles of the Faurecia Excellence System (FES) and its emphasis on continuous improvement, and the plants themselves are precision-focused facilities with highly automated and computerized environments that support employees equipped with today's manufacturing skills.

The FES is employed across all aspects of Faurecia's operations. It provides common standards and processes for all of Faurecia's functional areas, from R&D to production, sales and corporate functions, ensuring that excellence and continuous improvement in quality, cost and delivery are instilled in every stage of the development and manufacturing processes. Ultimately, the FES enables Faurecia to actively involve employees at all levels of the organization, forge partnerships with suppliers, and consistently deliver quality products on time for its customers.

Across North America, Faurecia has opened 15 new production facilities and technology centers since 2010 and has nearly doubled the size of its workforce in the region to more than 20,000. The company is transforming some landmark automotive facilities to meet the high-tech needs of the next generation of conventional and alternatively powered vehicles.

From facilities that meticulously sequence automotive components, delivering them to auto assembly lines at exactly the right moment, to technical centers that create entirely new concepts and materials from Faurecia's Automotive Seating, Emissions Control Technologies, Interior Systems, and Automotive Exteriors business groups, Faurecia is helping to build the future of manufacturing.

Among the producers of National Manufacturing Day are the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, Intl., the National Institute of Standards & Technology, the National Association of Manufacturers and the Science Channel.

About Faurecia North America
Faurecia North America had sales of $6 billion in 2012. Faurecia has 47 locations in the United States, Canada and Mexico and employs more than 20,000 people in the region. Connect with the company in North America on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/faureciaNA), Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/faureciaNA and http://www.twitter.com/faureciaNA_Jobs) and Pinterest (http://www.Pinterest.com/faureciaNA).

About Faurecia
Faurecia is the world's sixth largest automotive supplier with four key Business Groups: Automotive Seating, Emissions Control Technologies, Interior Systems and Automotive Exteriors. In 2012, the Group posted total sales of $22.5 billion. It employs 94,000 people in 34 countries at 320 sites and 30 R&D centers. Faurecia is listed on the NYSE Euronext Paris stock exchange and trades in the U.S. over-the-counter (OTC) market. For more information, visit: www.faurecia.com

SOURCE Faurecia North America