Faurecia, an industry leader in Europe, is rapidly expanding its operations in North America. The company won its first complete seat program with GM in North America in 1999. Five years later, its reputation for technical innovation and reliable production methods, in addition to industry praise for its high standards of quality, are helping to establish Faurecia as a trusted partner in the American automotive industry.

“North America is crucial to the success of our company,” said Faurecia Chairman and CEO Pierre Lévi, who addressed some 150 customers, industry leaders and dignitaries at the inaugural event. “The talent and experience available here in the Detroit area are of world-class standard. In our Auburn Hills seating plant, we are delighted to be able to combine our innovation with the immense expertise of GM and the American automotive community.”

Just-in-time (JIT) facilities produce systems for automotive assembly plants that are sequenced and timed to match each vehicle as it is being built. Through electronic data interchange (EDI), the Auburn Hills facility receives an order every 45 to 60 seconds from GM’s Lake Orion plant with specifications for seating trim and content. From there, a bar-coded ticket system is implemented and each seating system is built in the same sequence as the vehicles are being produced in the GM plant. They are then delivered by truck, in time and in sequence, to the Pontiac G6 assembly line. At full production, trucks leave the Faurecia Auburn Hills JIT plant at the rate of 1.5 per hour. Only four hours elapse from the time the order is transmitted to Faurecia to the seat's actual installation in the vehicle.

“Faurecia’s focus on innovative design along with reliable production and engineering solutions that it brought to the table, have resulted in a truly classy and comfortable seating system for the G6,” said Gene Stefanyshyn General Motors, vehicle line executive, G6. “The new JIT facility is turning out top-quality, 100%-tested products in perfect synchronization with our assembly operations.” In 1999, GM turned to Faurecia to develop seating for the Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Maxx, leading to the construction of Faurecia’s Riverside JIT seating facility, near Kansas City, Missouri. In a recent JD Power survey, Faurecia's seats were recognized as best-inclass in the entry mid-size category. The relationship with GM expanded with Faurecia’s selection as the seating designer and producer for the G6. Faurecia’s skills in trim design and fabric engineering, along with its innovative seat frames, have been important factors in its success in North American seating.

In addition to complete seating systems for the Pontiac G6 and Chevrolet Malibu, Faurecia assembles complete seats and manufacturers seat components for the Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, Chevrolet Trailblazer, Honda Pilot and Odyssey, and Nissan Quest, Xterra, Altima and Maxima.