Johnson Controls expands its interiors plant in East London, South Africa

East London, South Africa (ots) - Johnson Controls, a global
leader in automotive seating, interiors and electronics, announced
the expansion of its interiors plant in East London, South Africa.
The plant held an official opening ceremony today.

"Our plant in East London has been growing since it opened in
2000," said Ingo Fleischer, vice president & general manager, global
Daimler Business Unit, Interiors for Johnson Controls Automotive
Electronics & Interiors. "We were previously just producing interior
and seating components on a just-in-time basis. Now we are deepening
the value chain, and adding more production capabilities."

The East London plant currently supplies interior components,
including headliners and instrument panels for the Mercedes-Benz C-
Class. It will create 200 new jobs and will also supply door panels
in the future. The new building has 13,000 m2 of space for three
assembly lines.

"We would like to thank the Department of Trade and Industry and
the South African Government, for supporting us with our latest
investment in the East London Industrial Development Zone," said
Marco vom Wege, vice president & general manager Johnson Controls
Automotive South Africa (Pty) Ltd.

The company established its operations in South Africa in 1994
with approximately 65 employees. Today, Johnson Controls employs more
than 1,700 people in its five plants in South Africa. The company's
plants in Port Elizabeth and Sandton produce metal structures and
mechanisms for automotive seats. The plants in Uitenhage and Pretoria
supply complete car seats on a just-in-time basis to various major
automakers.

"The South African automotive industry has shown continuous growth
since we established our presence here. The country has become an
important location within the global automotive manufacturing
network," said Fleischer. "Our success can be greatly attributed to
our employees at the plant," added vom Wege. "We are recruiting team
members with technical educations to support us in driving the future
automotive business of the company."

About Johnson Controls

Johnson Controls is a global diversified technology and industrial
leader serving customers in more than 150 countries. Our 170,000
employees create quality products, services and solutions to optimize
energy and operational efficiencies of buildings; lead-acid
automotive batteries and advanced batteries for hybrid and electric
vehicles; and interior systems for automobiles. Our commitment to
sustainability dates back to our roots in 1885, with the invention of
the first electric room thermostat. Through our growth strategies and
by increasing market share we are committed to delivering value to
shareholders and making our customers successful.

About Johnson Controls Automotive Experience

Johnson Controls is a global leader in automotive seating,
overhead systems, door and instrument panels, and interior
electronics. We support all major automakers in the differentiation
of their vehicles through our products, technologies and advanced
manufacturing capabilities. With 240 locations worldwide, we are
where our customers need us to be. Consumers have enjoyed the comfort
and style of our products, from single components to complete
interiors. With our global capability we supply approximately 50
million cars per year.

For more information, please contact:
Johnson Controls GmbH
Automotive Electronics & Interiors
Industriestraße 20-30
51399 Burscheid
Germany

Astrid Schafmeister
Tel.: +49 2174 65-3189
E-mail: astrid.schafmeister@jci.com