AIAG Presents Inaugural Pioneer Award to Chrysler Group at 2013 Corporate Responsibility Summit

SOUTHFIELD, MI--April 25, 2013: AIAG announced that it bestowed its inaugural Pioneer Award to Chrysler Group, honoring the auto manufacturer's 30-year support of AIAG and the industry as a founding member of the not-for-profit, member-supported organization. The award, which was presented during a ceremony last evening at AIAG's 2013 Corporate Responsibility Summit, recognizes Chrysler's historical and ongoing support of industry collaboration in the areas of corporate responsibility, supply chain management and quality.

"As AIAG celebrates 30 years of providing an open, neutral, legal and professional infrastructure that allows the industry to work together, we are paying tribute to the visionary pioneers of our organization, beginning with Chrysler," said J. Scot Sharland, executive director of AIAG. "Chrysler continues to demonstrate its commitment to AIAG, and the auto industry as a whole, by providing the expertise and resources to drive business process improvements and create efficiencies that move the global supply chain forward."

"Chrysler is honored to be the first recipient of the AIAG Pioneer Award," said Bill Hall, director of sustainability and business continuity -- Chrysler Group. "At Chrysler Group, we believe that our future, and the future for all of us, rests on conducting our business in a responsible manner, with proper respect and care for the environment, the communities where we operate and the stakeholders with whom we interact. We embrace the partnership with AIAG for the opportunities it offers to work closely on environmental, social and governance topics with our supply chain."

During the ceremony, former Chrysler executive and AIAG volunteer Chuck Koehn presented the Pioneer Award to Bill Hall and symbolically "passed the torch" of AIAG involvement. As a further sign of appreciation to Chrysler, AIAG is making a $5,000 donation to Chrysler's designated charity, Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program (DAPCEP). Dr. Lorenzo Smith, associate dean of Oakland University's School of Engineering and Computer Science and DAPCEP board member, accepted the donation from Chrysler.

AIAG will present the Pioneer Award to Ford Motor Company and General Motors in individual ceremonies later this year, recognizing each of their roles as the other founding members of AIAG.