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M2K seat recognized in automotive awards program

The annual Automotive News PACE Awards, presented here last week, shone a spotlight in the school bus industry as part of its quest to honor “superior innovation, technological advancement and business performance among automotive suppliers.”

April 27, 2009
1 min to read


DETROIT — The annual Automotive News PACE Awards, presented here last week, shone a spotlight in the school bus industry as part of its quest to honor “superior innovation, technological advancement and business performance among automotive suppliers.”

M2K’s school bus seat, which is offered in a variety of sizes and with or without lap-shoulder belts, earned honorable mention in the prestigious awards program.

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M2K and Takata, the two partnering companies that now own SynTec Seating Solutions, were recognized at the event for the innovative design of the seat and belt system.

Ron Lamparter, co-chairman of M2K and CEO of SynTec, said it was the first time that a product intended solely for school buses had been selected for the honor.

“Competition for these awards included many very large global companies with internationally recognized names,” Lamparter said. “The school bus industry was finally recognized by the automotive industry for a very significant honor amongst competition that was truly global in nature.”

Other companies honored at the 15th PACE Awards included Eaton Corp., Magna Mirrors and BorgWarner.

The event was presented by Automotive News and co-sponsors Ernst & Young and Transportation Research Center Inc.

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