Simrit Division of Freudenberg-NOK Earns United Technologies Corp. Supplier Gold Award

PLYMOUTH, Mich., Aug. 10, 2009 – In recognition of its outstanding performance in delivery, quality, lean practices and customer support, Simrit’s Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada facility was recently awarded United Technologies Corp.’s (UTC) Supplier Gold status. Part of the Simrit Division of Freudenberg-NOK, the Tillsonburg facility manufactures and supplies aerospace sealing solutions to UTC’s Pratt & Whitney Canada.

“It’s a great honor to be recognized by UTC for our dedication to providing superior products and services,” said Vinay Nilkanth, vice president of global aerospace sales, Simrit. “At Simrit, we strive to offer exceptional customer service, as well as quality products that impeccably fit our customers’ needs.”

The Supplier Gold award recognizes companies that offer superior performance. The four criteria that are used to evaluate suppliers for this award include: excellent customer service; on-time product delivery; best-in-class quality for the last 12 months; and use of lean practices throughout operations. Simrit’s Tillsonburg facility is one of the first UTC seal suppliers to be awarded Supplier Gold status and is currently one of only 14 Pratt & Whitney Canada suppliers that have received this honor.

“The Tillsonburg facility was fast-tracked through the Supplier Gold approval process, having met most of the supplier goals and requirements,” Nilkanth said.

“The UTC Supplier Gold award was established to develop a standard across our suppliers, while recognizing them for business excellence. We thank Simrit for the first-class performance it has delivered to Pratt & Whitney Canada,” said Sam Abdelmalek, vice president of supply management, Pratt & Whitney Canada. “Our strong business relationship creates win-win opportunities for both UTC and Simrit.”

Simrit’s award of the Supplier Gold status is a milestone in the company’s global journey. At the Paris Airshow in July 2009, Simrit announced its new global approach to the aerospace market and this award further reinforces the company’s desire to become a key player in this market.

The Simrit Division is based at Freudenberg-NOK’s headquarters in Plymouth, Mich., and is part of the Freudenberg and NOK Group, which has total annual sales of more than $12 billion. Simrit offers an extensive portfolio of sealing solutions for the aerospace, appliance, energy, heavy duty truck, industrial, marine, mobile machinery, recreational vehicle and semiconductor markets.

For more information, visit the Simrit website at A href="http://www.simrit.com">www.simrit.com.