By David Barkholz, Automotive News
Detroit, Michigan -- Johnson Controls Inc., traditionally one of the most visible parts suppliers at the Detroit auto show, will reduce its presence this year.
The Glendale, Wisconsin-based maker of seats, interiors and batteries is sharing a display this year with the state of Michigan instead of staffing a prominent display on the second floor of Cobo Center, as it has for the past 15 years, said Johnson Controls spokeswoman Debbie Lacey.
Johnson Controls also plans no news conferences during the show, she said. Typically, the company held a news conference on the first day of the Detroit show to highlight its seating and interiors technology and a second news conference later in the show to showcase battery developments.
Johnson Controls intends to return to its second-floor perch in 2011 when it also will exhibit at the Frankfurt auto show, Lacey said. The decision not to set up a major display this year was to bring Johnson Controls' presence at the Detroit show in sync with the Frankfurt show, she said.
She said the company's technology is developed globally, so executives want to show it in multiple venues rather than regionally.
Johnson Controls remains a sponsor of the Detroit auto show. It will display batteries in the lower level of Cobo Center in downtown Detroit as part of an exhibit planned by the Michigan Economic Development Corp., Lacey said.
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