DELPHI PACKARD $2.7B in pacts added

The wiring supplier had more opportunities to bid for work than ever before.
WARREN -- Delphi Packard Electric Systems added $2.7 billion in new wiring business last year.
"Winning that level of business in this competitive environment is very big," said Ann Cornell Vickers, a spokeswoman for the Warren-based division of Delphi Corp.
She said she couldn't provide comparable numbers with previous years because of a change in the way Packard's operating units are organized.
The new business added in 2002 was significant, however, she said.
The business including wiring and related products, such as connectors, for 17 automotive and heavy-duty truck manufacturers globally. Most of the contracts are for vehicles that will begin production in the 2005 and 2006 model years.
Paul Miller, Packard business line executive, said adding that much business shows Packard has been successful in providing cost-effective, reliable systems that fit customer needs.
'Better than expected'
Cornell Vickers said Michigan-based Delphi had a solid year in light of the sluggish economy, but the corporation doesn't break out Packard's total revenue figures.
"It was a better year than we expected, based on the market," Cornell Vickers said.
Cornell Vickers said 2002 was a record year for quoting opportunities on new vehicle programs.
Automakers were planning new models that are going to be introduced in a few years and were overhauling existing models, she said.
Packard employs about 6,000 hourly and salaried workers in the Mahoning Valley, although it has plants around the world. Local plants produce components that are used in electronic and electrical distribution systems.