Lear was founded in 1917 in Detroit as American Metal Products, a manufacturer of tubular, welded and stamped assemblies for the automotive and aircraft industries. Lear has grown to meet the changing needs of the industr......Lear was founded in 1917 in Detroit as American Metal Products, a manufacturer of tubular, welded and stamped assemblies for the automotive and aircraft industries. Lear has grown to meet the changing needs of the industry with 18 major acquisitions since 1994, when Lear went public. Today, the company provides complete seat systems, electronic products and electrical distribution systems. With annual net sales of $13.6 billion in 2008, Lear ranked #157 in 2008 among the Fortune 500. The companys world-class products are designed, engineered and manufactured by a diverse team of 80,000 employees at 210 facilities in 36 countries. Lears headquarters are in Southfield, Michigan. The success of Lear is a result of our dedication to provide the best possible service to the worlds automakers - which includes understanding their customers, the automotive consumer - by delivering increased value through the latest vehicle interior technologies and the continuous improvement of our processes and product quality. All of this is reflected in Lears exclusive People-Vehicle-Interface Methodology. By utilizing the PVI Method, Lear employs an innovation development discipline that turns market opportunities into the products that consumers want and customers need in their vehicles.