15th October 2008 - WABCO-TVS Praised for Benchmark Lean Manufacturing Operation

"Over the past several years, the management and workforce at the WABCO-TVS factory in Chennai have successfully implemented lean production methods while demonstrating the necessary leadership behavior to become as good as any manufacturing operation outside of Toyota City," said Dr. Womack. "The factory team in Chennai has done a brilliant job of gathering lean knowledge and then incorporating it into their manufacturing system from policy deployment to logistics, marking an impressive achievement."

Womack founded LEI in August 1997 as a nonprofit education, research, publishing, and conferencing center to give managers and executives simple but powerful tools that enable them to apply a set of ideas known as lean production and lean thinking, based initially on the Toyota business system. Womack is co-author of the classic lean book, The Machine That Changed the World, which was the first to describe the Toyota production system as a complete business system that is the successor to traditional management. He also co-authored the subsequent books Lean Thinking and Lean Solutions.

The WABCO-TVS factory located in Ambattur, Chennai, manufactures brake products for trucks and buses, supplying customers locally and internationally. As recently reported, this facility received the prestigious Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) Excellence Award from the Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance. Combining operations and maintenance, the TPM approach creates a production environment that performs at world-class levels of efficiency and quality.

"We are pleased that Dr. Womack has recognized the innovation and excellence of our manufacturing operation in Chennai, which is continually reducing cycle time, increasing productivity and improving quality, while reaching one of the best service levels in the industry," said Jacques Esculier, WABCO Chief Executive Officer. "The power of achievements attained so far is driven by more than broadly applying the lean tools and concepts throughout the operation: our lean results are profoundly anchored in the organization's ability to constantly evolve and refine its culture based on total employee involvement. This is the sole path to obtain sustainable benefits that customers increasingly appreciate."

WABCO-TVS (India) Ltd. is an affiliate of WABCO and its joint venture partner, members of the TVS Group.

About WABCO

WABCO Vehicle Control Systems is one of the world's leading providers of electronic braking, stability, suspension and transmission automation systems for heavy duty commercial vehicles. Customers include the world's leading commercial truck, trailer, and bus manufacturers. Founded in the U.S. in 1869 as Westinghouse Air Brake Company, WABCO was acquired by American Standard in 1968 and spun off in 2007. Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, WABCO employs more than 7,700 people in 31 countries worldwide. In 2007, WABCO's total sales were $2.4 billion. WABCO is a publicly traded company and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange with the stock symbol WBC.

About the TVS Group

The TVS Group, one of India's most respected business conglomerates, is a leading supplier to the automotive sector. Founded in 1911 as a transport company, it aligned business opportunities with steady growth, expansion and diversification. Today the Group comprises over 30 operating companies with strong presence in manufacturing Motorcycles, Scooters, Automotive Components, Automotive Dealerships, Logistics, Finance, Insurance and Electronics. These diverse business entities have taken the Group's presence across the globe and employ more than 40,000 people.

Source: WABCO Holdings Press Release