The new manufacturing facility, centrally-located one-quarter mile from I-95 in Baltimore County, will enable GM/Allison Transmission to bring its 1000 Series(tm) transmissions to market on schedule and meet anticipated strong customer demand, according to Hancock.

The new plant will be located in the designated White Marsh growth area, according to Baltimore County Executive C. A. "Dutch" Ruppersberger. "This Smart Growth location complements Baltimore County's strategic policy to target growth in areas where infrastructure, skilled labor and development already exist," said Ruppersberger. "The plant is tooled with the latest digitally-controlled equipment, positioning Allison competitively in domestic and world markets. This plant will help retain hundreds of manufacturing jobs in this area."

Construction of the new plant was prompted by studies that forecast the demand for Allison Transmission's new 1000 Series(tm) and 2000 Series(tm) transmissions will exceed the production capacity at the Indianapolis manufacturing facility. The new plant will address that issue.

Allison Transmission announced production plans for the 1000/2000 Series(tm) last August. The transmissions are used in commercial vehicles such as step vans, buses, utility and municipal vehicles, and commercial-duty pickup trucks. Initial production start-up of the new transmissions will begin next month at the Allison Transmission Indianapolis operations.

The Japanese company Autobacs, specialized in the retailing of car accessories, and the French automobile manufacturer Renault are forming a joint-venture - Autobacs Seven Europe - in which they will respectively hold a 51% and 49% share of the capital. Both partners will be involved in setting up a chain of specialist car accessory stores in Europe.

Collaboration between the two companies is based on their highly complementary expertise and experience. Renault is contributing its knowledge of European customer profiles and expectations; Autobacs, number one company in car accessory sales in Japan with a network of over 500 stores and a market share of 10%, is bringing its savoir faire in the area of mass retail distribution applied to car accessories.

The joint creation of a European car accessory chain will enable Autobacs, which is established in Japan and southeast Asia, to gain a foothold in Europe, and allow Renault to enhance its presence in a new area of distribution.

Both partners are expecting to benefit from the strong growth potential of the car accessory market in Europe, which only represents 6% of all replacement part sales. European customers display a growing desire to customize their vehicles and adapt them to better suit their lifestyles. This demand is growing with the development of the used car market.

The first stage will consist of adapting the Japanese store concept to European markets by opening a number of pilot sites that will be owned by the joint-venture. As of 2002, the company will deploy a full-scale franchise network.

Autobacs and Renault envisage revenues of FRF 5.5 billion („105.9 billion or 838.47 million euros) by opening 250 stores within ten years in France, Germany and the United Kingdom, at an average rate of 10 stores per year per country. The partners also intend to examine the feasibility of setting up stores elsewhere in Western Europe.

The stores will have an upbeat retailing atmosphere, and will offer a wide multi-make choice of products that cover the six major car accessory product groups: electronics and hi-tech (car radios, navigation equipment, alarms, telephones), wheels and tyres, interior equipment (floor mats, seat covers, child seats), exterior equipment (bike racks, roof racks, tow-bars, wing mirrors), maintenance products and parts (oil, spark plugs, batteries, air filters) and sports accessories (steering wheels, exhausts, fog lamps, spoilers and sports suspensions).

The Commander system starts with a "docked" or removable laptop computer in the center console. Linked to a display of the instrument panel, the computer will provide wireless Internet access, including current traffic information and weather updates. The computer also delivers global positioning system (GPS) mapping, a security system, phone connections and mobile office functions, such as e-mail, a calendar and an appointment schedule. While the computer can be controlled with a keyboard, a number of functions can be activated by the sound of the driver's voice through a microphone on top of the Commander's instrument panel.

For example, the driver can dictate a message and the computer will translate it to an electronic message and send it through the Internet. In the future, similar computers also will read e-mail aloud to the driver using text-to-speech technology. The same technology can be used to make and hear calendar appointments.

"When you're driving home and remember something you should have done at work, you can verbally remind yourself and tell your computer to e-mail that message to your office - all without touching a keypad," says Buckley.

Along with its voice-activated controls, Commander's computer features a high-tech security system that literally captures the identity of a car thief. A camera in the instrument panel makes a visual recording of the thief, which can then be sent electronically to authorities. GPS also helps authorities track the whereabouts of a heisted Commander.

Given that the computer docks with Commander, and is not built into the vehicle, its software can be continually upgraded - extending the life of the system and allowing it to be used in the office, at home or, perhaps, in another vehicle.