Awards presented at the Daimler Key Supplier Meeting
13 suppliers honored for outstanding performance
Stuttgart, Germany – Daimler AG has honored its best suppliers with the Daimler Supplier Award 2011. The awards were presented at this year’s Daimler Key Supplier Meeting in the Mercedes-Benz Center in Stuttgart. As in previous years, the award was given in a variety of categories to 13 suppliers. This year’s special prize was presented in the “Partnership” category and honored the outstanding commitment demonstrated by the Japanese suppliers in the wake of the natural disaster that struck the country in March 2011.
With the annual Daimler Supplier Award, the company recognizes outstanding performance in the areas of quality, costs, logistics, technology, and innovation. Daimler has defined these value drivers as well as the principles for supplier collaboration in its globally standardized cooperation model known as the Daimler Supplier Network. In addition, the values of fairness, reliability, and trust are further aspects of the evaluation.
In his opening speech at the event, Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Daimler Board of Management and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, provided an overview of business development and the strategies for the years ahead, thanked the suppliers for their close cooperation, and highlighted what Daimler expects of it partners: “We have set ambitious goals for Daimler in the coming years. To reach them, we need strong partners with the will to innovate and grow with us.”
The fact that success must not only be measured by economic terms but also by looking at the manner of how it is achieved was emphasized by Dr. Christine Hohmann-Dennhardt, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG for Integrity and Legal Affairs: “Good business is our common responsibility, both in terms of quantity and of quality. This does not only apply to our employees, but includes you as our suppliers as well.”
In their speeches, Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard, Member of the Board of Management responsible for Manufacturing and Procurement Mercedes-Benz Cars & Mercedes-Benz Vans, and Andreas Renschler, Member of the Board of Management responsible for Daimler Trucks, explained the importance of close cooperation based on mutual trust and drew the listeners’ attention to the upcoming challenges. “With our product offensive, we want to develop new markets around the globe and grow together with you,” said Bernhard. “It is essential for us to have reliable partners in these times, as we need to flexibly adapt to volatile demand and are at the same time operating on all continents,” stated Renschler.
Together with the heads of the procurement units, Dr. Klaus Zehender (Procurement Mercedes-Benz Cars & Vans), Dr. Holger Steindorf (Procurement Daimler Trucks & Buses), and Wendelin Wolbert (International Procurement Services), the Members of the Board of Management subsequently presented the awards to the 13 winning suppliers.
Daimler also presented a specially designed trophy to honor the great commitment shown by all of the Japanese suppliers following the natural disaster in that country in March 2011. On behalf of Daimler, Wilfried Porth, Member of the Board of Management responsible for Human Resources & Labor Relations Director, thanked the Japanese partners for their outstanding efforts to safeguard supply chains and production at the Daimler facilities in Japan. “Not only did we manage to cope with one of the biggest challenges in the history of the Japanese automotive industry, but together, we can overcome it and even can grow stronger due to the fact that we work together so closely and with such extraordinary engagement,” said Porth.
In addition to some 200 Daimler executives, the meeting was attended by around 450 representatives of the company’s key suppliers.
The winners of the “Daimler Supplier Award 2011” are:
Mercedes-Benz Cars and Vans
Exterior: voestalpine AG
Interior: Autoliv Inc.
Electrics/Electronics: Nexans Autoelectric GmbH
Chassis: Brembo S.p.A.
Powertrain: KSPG Automotive
Daimler Trucks and Buses
Exterior: BASF Coatings GmbH
Electrics/Electronics: VOSS Automotive GmbH
Chassis: GMF Umformtechnik Gmb
Powertrain: Craftsman Automation
International Procurement Services
Energy: Enovos Energie Deutschland GmbH
Assembly Systems: Atlas Copco Tools Central Europe GmbH
Telecommunication: NTT Communications Corporation
Manufacturing Equipment: Grob-Werke GmbH & Co. KG
Special Award for Partnership
Collective award for all Japanese suppliers of Daimler AG
