PRESS RELEASES

MIS Council Celebrates 30th Anniversary

Research Triangle Park, N.C., May 31, 2002 – The MEMA Information Services Council (MIS Council), a peer group of the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA), will celebrate its 30th anniversary during the 2002 MIS Council Fall Conference, which will be held October 13-16 at the TradeWinds Resort in St. Pete Beach, Fla.

The 30th anniversary activities will be held during the Fall Conference annual awards banquet. A collection of memorabilia from the Council’s organization in 1972 through its current meetings, initiatives and activities will be on display during the banquet. Jim Bonham of Gates Rubber Co., and a past chairman of the MIS Council board of governors, will deliver the keynote presentation. He will discuss the contributions the Council has made to the automotive aftermarket throughout the past 30 years, and each past chairman will be introduced and recognized for his support and dedication to the Council.

Some of the MIS Council’s accomplishments include:

• Development of standard EDI (electronic data interchange) formats for the aftermarket
• Standardization of the Direct Connect?™ E-commerce system
• Standardization of the format and use of MISG/TRANSNET?™, the industry’s first electronic ordering system
• Development of the first aftermarket industry XML EDI standards
• Creation of the industry’s first Web competition, the Aftermarket Web Challenge™The MEMA Information Services Council is a forum for industry interaction, education and idea exchange regarding matters of common interest to IS managers and related executives in automotive manufacturing companies. It also conducts other activities appropriate to serve the common interest of IS specialists and MEMA automotive manufacturers.

The council provides IT managers an opportunity for education and discussion of E-commerce trends, manufacturing and distribution systems, hardware/software and other supply chain issues so they can better implement initiatives that support overall corporate goals and strategies. The Council is dedicated to providing the industry’s best forum for this education and for the development of industry standards.

Founded in 1904, MEMA exclusively represents and serves more than 700 U.S. manufacturers of motor vehicle components, tools and equipment, automotive chemicals, and related products used in the production, repair, and maintenance of all classes of motor vehicles. MEMA is headquartered in Research Triangle Park, N.C., and has offices in Washington, D.C.; Yokohama, Japan; Brussels, Belgium; Mexico City, Mexico; and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The MIS Council, a peer group of the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association, serves as a medium for industry interaction, education and idea exchange regarding matters of common interest to Information Technology (IT) and E-commerce professionals in the automotive aftermarket industry. It provides industry leadership and information through semi-annual conferences, committee activities, monthly newsletters and the annual Aftermarket Web Challenge.

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Web sites:
www.misg.com
www.mema.org