ArvinMeritor Plans to Invest $42 Million to Aggressively Enhance Its Foundation Brake Position in Europe

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Sep 20, 2010, 07:19 ET

HANNOVER, Germany, Sept. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- ArvinMeritor, Inc. (NYSE: ARM) announced today at the IAA Hannover Commercial Vehicle Show that it plans to invest $42 million to advance its foundation brake leadership position in Europe. This investment is focused on five key areas:

Expansion of the successful ELSA air disc brake and S-Cam product lines
Development of future generation braking technologies
Vehicle and lab performance testing and validation
Best-in-class manufacturing technologies
Customer service and support

"This major investment underscores our commitment to leadership in the global foundation brake business," said Carsten Reinhardt, chief operating officer for ArvinMeritor. "We are dedicated to further enhancing our capabilities in product development and manufacturing technology to be the partner of choice for vehicle manufacturers worldwide."

With more than three million ELSA disc brakes in service, the company is leveraging its experience to enhance the performance of current product lines and grow its product portfolio:

Next evolution of the Meritor® 225L and 225H disc brakes with improved strength-to-weight ratio for heavy duty truck and bus applications
Weight-optimized Meritor 225T disc brake for trailer and lighter-truck line haul applications
New Meritor 410mm S-Cam drum brake for heavy duty applications

In addition, ArvinMeritor is investing in advanced engineering to develop tomorrow's foundation brake technology including electro-mechanical actuation, active adjustment and smart heat management.

To further support product development, the company is investing in additional test and validation capabilities, including a new NVH and thermal imaging dynamometer capable of testing complete corner modules including axle, suspensions and wheel-ends; a new advanced three-axis vibration rig to analyze effects of vibration more accurately and a much increased vehicle test fleet to analyze products in real operating environments.

ArvinMeritor will also invest in world-class manufacturing systems including advanced machining and fully automated assembly systems as part of the company's drive toward 0 PPM.

About ArvinMeritor

ArvinMeritor, Inc. is a premier global supplier of a broad range of integrated systems, modules and components to original equipment manufacturers and the aftermarket for the transportation and industrial sectors. The company serves commercial truck, trailer and specialty original equipment manufacturers and certain aftermarkets, and light vehicle manufacturers. ArvinMeritor marked its centennial anniversary in 2009, celebrating a long history of 'forward thinking.' ArvinMeritor common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol ARM. For important information about the company, visit arvinmeritor.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains statements that are "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words or phrases such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "should," "are likely to be," "will" and similar expressions. There are risks and uncertainties associated with the Company's plans to invest in its global braking capability and actual results may differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to global economic and market cycles and conditions; risks inherent in operating abroad (including foreign currency exchange rates); availability and sharply rising cost of raw materials; OEM program delays; demand for and market acceptance of new and existing products; successful development of new products; reliance on major OEM customers; labor relations of the company, its suppliers and customers, including potential disruptions in supply of parts to our facilities or demand for our products due to work stoppages; the financial condition of the company's suppliers and customers, including potential bankruptcies; possible adverse effects of any future suspension of normal trade credit terms by our suppliers; potential difficulties competing with companies that have avoided their existing contracts in bankruptcy and reorganization proceedings; competitive product and pricing pressures; as well as other risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those detailed from time to time in filings of the company with the SEC. These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof, and the company undertakes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by law.

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SOURCE ArvinMeritor, Inc.