08/21/2003 – TILLSONBURG, Ontario, Canada

Despite General Motors Corporation decision last Fall to in-source packing services for their Powertrain export program, TDS automotive has retained program management responsibilities. Export services for GM Powertrain, previously provided by TDS automotive in Tillsonburg, are now being performed from a TDS managed facility located in Port Colborne, Ontario.

The 46,592 sq. ft. Port Colborne facility officially launched operations on June 16, 2003. Material handling services are being provided by a GMC labour force, under the direction of a TDS management team. TDS automotive continues to provide material management, packaging engineering, and proprietary (PdMain) Information Systems support to the new operation.

This move, together with a combination of capital investment, process changes and lean improvement initiatives, has allowed TDS automotive to reduce space requirements in Tillsonburg sufficiently to consolidate two facilities into one.

The 240,000 square foot facility located on Highway#3 has now been vacated. The GM export services to China which had been performed by TDS on Highway#3 since 1998 have now been relocated to plant# 12 within the TDS Tillson Avenue complex.

TDS automotive remains the primary North American export packing service provider for GM’s International Product Division. TDS consolidates material from hundreds of suppliers across North America, picking & packing individual car parts into complete vehicles kits for assembly at GM’s overseas plants, in China, Venezuela, Indonesia, Nigeria and Columbia.