It has come to the knowledge that the business collaboration of the renowned global automotive industry leader Ford Motor Company and Lear Corporation, the leading supplier of automotive interior systems and components will indicate the commencement of a new era in the month of August when the production of soy-based foam for seats is destined to being in the 2008 model year Ford Mustang.

Lear Corporation as frontrunner of international suppliers of automotive interior systems and components provide complete seating systems, electronic products and electrical distribution systems. From its inception in 1917 in Detroit as American Metal Products and a manufacturer of tubular, welded and stamped assemblies for the automotive and aircraft industries has come a long way and with annual net sales of $17.1 billion it ranks #127 among the Fortune 500 in 2006. Since 1994 when Lear went public Lear has grown to meet the changing needs of the industry with 18 major acquisitions since 1994, when Lear went public.

It has been revealed in this respect that from this time on the Ford Company will utilize the first soy-based flexible foam in the seat backs and seat cushions of the industry and it will have its initiation from the month of August at the Auto Alliance International factory in Flat Rock, Michigan, home of the Ford Mustang. It is to be noted that the Ford Company has a prosperous history when the question regarding the integration of the soy-based materials into its products arises. One of its acclaimed Model T once contained 60 pound of soybeans I respect of its painting and modeling of plastic parts. Again it was the year 2003 when the topmost echelon of the Ford decided to demonstrate its liking for soy-based materials into its products and thus there was a demonstration of its industry-leading work with soy-foams on the Model U concept where the featuring of the soy-based seat cushions, in addition to a soy-based resin composite tailgate. Now the name of Lear has been mentioned for this venture since it is the pioneer in the area of environmental systems for automotive seating with industry firsts and moreover in 2004 the two had entered into a partnership for the commercialization of the soy-foam applications.

While being questioned by the Press & Media over the recent conglomeration Gerhard Schmidt, the Vice President of Research & Advanced Engineering at Ford Motor Company said, "Our technical team had to overcome several significant hurdles to bring this environmentally responsible technology to production," said Gerhard Schmidt, vice president of Research & Advanced Engineering at Ford Motor Company. "We are pleased that our diligent efforts in developing this technology have resulted in the production of soy-foam for the Ford Mustang."