Hagerstown, MD - Vehicle manufacturers featuring leather from Garden State Tanning, Inc. are once again appearing in the top-ten rankings in two recognized surveys of automobile quality.
In the 2003 Consumer Reports Reliability Survey for long-term quality, five automobile brands that feature leather from Garden State hold the top five positions: Acura, Toyota, Lexus, Honda and Mazda.
In the 2003 J.D. Power & Associates Initial Quality Survey, the automobile manufacturers holding the first, fourth and ninth positions (Lexus, Acura and Toyota) are each regular and consistent customers of Garden State.
"A reputation for quality is very difficult to obtain and even more difficult to keep in today's highly demanding automotive consumer environment," stated Mark D. Lecher, president and chief operating officer for Garden State Tanning, Inc. "We are very proud that vehicles with our products consistently score well in quality and reliability surveys of this type. Through our own qualitative and quantitative research, we know that leather plays a very important role in the quality perception of a vehicle. In fact, our research shows that 89% of consumers place an importance on leather when purchasing an automobile."
A recent News Analysis and Commentary in BusinessWeek Magazine (Way to Go, Detroit-Now Go a Lot Further, May 26, 2003) states, "Imports have built a durable image for quality by focusing much more on the parts of a car that drivers actually feel. Japanese and European autos have plusher interiors and better knobs, switches, and gauges."
"At Garden State, we remain focused on helping our customers achieve the right products for the ultimate 'feel' part of a car - the leather," added Lecher.
About Garden State Tanning (www.gstautoleather.com)
For nearly seventy years, Garden State Tanning, Inc. has been the proud supplier of the world's finest automotive leather. One luxury nameplate after another has turned to Garden State seeking the ultimate in leather quality, aesthetics and durability. A leader in innovation and development, Garden State engineers and other technical experts work hand-in-hand with customers to conceive, design and develop new generations of leather. Among the automobile name plates currently carrying Garden State leather are Toyota, Lexus, Acura, BMW, Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Lincoln and Mazda.