Cummins and Eli Lilly Join Forces to Help Minority-Owned Businesses

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INDIANAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Cummins Inc. (NYSE: CMI) and Eli Lilly and Co., two of Indiana's largest corporations, are joining forces to help minority-owned businesses at Indiana Black Expo's Summer Celebration.

The two companies are sponsoring a workshop July 15 on Six Sigma, the business problem-solving technique credited with saving corporations millions of dollars annually, as part of the Black Business Conference at the 38th annual event in Indianapolis.

"Lilly has successfully used Six Sigma for more than three years," said Liz Klimes, Vice President of Six Sigma for the pharmaceutical company. "We're pleased to have an opportunity to share our expertise and experience with local businesses."

"Companies that undertake this training will see increased opportunities not only as a supplier to Cummins but as a supplier to any number of other leading corporations," said Gordon F. Fykes, Director of Diversity Procurement for Cummins, which produces diesel engines and related technology as well as power generation systems.

Here are the workshop details:

Time:     2 - 6 p.m.
Date:     July 15, 2008.
Place:    Indiana Convention Center, Room 201.

Six Sigma seeks to reduce waste and variability through a data-driven analysis that allows businesses to identify the crux of a problem free of distortions and distractions that might be obscuring a solution.

Lilly and Cummins have been using the technique for several years but it is not as widely used by small businesses.

"Six Sigma is not easy for any company to embrace regardless of size," said George Strodtbeck, Cummins' Executive Director of Corporate Quality and Cummins Operating System and an expert on the business problem-solving technique. "But it works for any organization willing to devote the appropriate energy necessary to make broad-based change."

The workshop will include an overview of Six Sigma from 2 to 4 p.m. followed by a panel discussion from 4 to 6 p.m. that will include minority and women-owned business leaders who have used the technique successfully.

The 38th annual Indiana Black Expo Summer Celebration runs from July 10 to July 20 in Indianapolis.

    Here are some other Cummins events at Summer Celebration:

    --  Professional Networking and Business Card Exchange

Minority business owners can ask questions of leaders from top companies across Indiana and the nation at this networking event sponsored by Cummins, Allstate, United Water and Hunt Construction.

When: 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. July 15, Indiana Convention Center, Wabash Ballroom 1 and 2

-- NMMI Workshop

National Minority Manufacturing Institute (NMMI) Founder and CEO David J. Burton will teach participants how to develop key performance indicators so they can evaluate such things as supply chain performance.

When: 9 - 11 a.m., July 16, 2008, Indiana Convention Center, Room 201.

-- Employment Opportunity Fair

Cummins is a co-sponsor of the Employment Opportunity Fair at the Indiana Black Expo's Summer Celebration, providing visitors with information about jobs at the Company as well as help with resumes and much more.

When: 9 a.m. - 7 p.m., July 17, Indiana Convention Center, 500 Ballroom.

-- Consumer Booth Exhibitor Fair

Visitors will be able to learn more about the Company and its products and the Consumer Booth Exhibitor Fair at the Indiana Convention Center's Exhibit Hall.

When: noon to 9 p.m., July 18; 10 a.m. - 10 p.m., July 19; noon to 6 p.m., July 20.

About Cummins

Cummins Inc., a global power leader, is a corporation of complementary business units that design, manufacture, distribute and service engines and related technologies, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission solutions and electrical power generation systems. Headquartered in Columbus, Indiana, (USA) Cummins serves customers in approximately 190 countries and territories through a network of more than 500 company-owned and independent distributor locations and approximately 5,200 dealer locations. Cummins reported net income of $739 million on sales of $13.05 billion in 2007. Press releases can be found on the Web at www.cummins.com.

Forward-Looking Disclosure Statement

Information provided in this release that is not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the company's expectations, hopes, beliefs and intentions on strategies regarding the future. It is important to note that the company's actual future results could differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements because of a number of factors, including, but not limited to, general economic, business and financing conditions, labor relations, governmental action, competitor pricing activity, expense volatility and other risks detailed from time to time in Cummins Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

Source: Cummins Inc.

Released July 8, 2008