Oz Supplier Profits From Demand for New GMT900 SUVs

CANBERRA – Australian parts maker Pacifica Group says encouraging sales of General Motors Corp. fullsize SUVs based on the new GMT900 platform are boosting its shipments of brakes.

Pacifica was queried by the Australian Stock Exchange after its shares rose 21%, from A$1.70 ($1.70) to a 4-month high of A$2.07 ($1.55) in just one week.

GM’s Tahoe sales in February rose 47.2%. The new GM900-based ’07 Chevy Tahoe went on sale in January. The all-new GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade racked up nearly 3,000 deliveries, combined, in their first full month on sale. (See related story: GM February Sales Down 2.6%; Fleet Deliveries Decline)

Pacifica supplies the brakes for the GMT900 platform from its U.S. Knoxville, TN, plant jointly owned with Delphi Corp.

’07 Chevy Tahoe

“General Motors has recently released new SUV models in the U.S. that are based on the GMT900 platform, to which Pacifica is a supplier,” Pacifica tells the stock exchange.

“There have been some press reports that very early sales of these products have been encouraging. It is conceivable these reports may have influenced trading in Pacifica’s shares.”

Pacifica forecasts 2006 earnings will rise to between A$35 million ($26 million) and A$40 million ($30 million).