Schaeffler, the global supplier to the automotive and industrial sectors, has recently recognised its top suppliers for 2021. Seventeen supply partners received the Schaeffler Supplier Award in recognition of their excellence as partners for performance. These winning companies include India’s Delux Bearings, which is yet another instance of a home-grown supplier matching shoulders with the world’s best.

The Mumbai-based Delux Bearings manufactures clutch release bearings, ball bearings, pulleys and steering column bearings, among a host of products. 

Like most global automotive suppliers, Schaeffler maintains a supply chain that has thousands of companies supply production materials and services to Schaeffler’s 70-plus factories in 50 countries worldwide.

Sustainability is central to these supply chain and procurement operations, as Chief Operating Officer Andreas Schick explained: “We believe that success in business goes hand in hand with a duty to act responsibly towards the environment, people and society.”

Schaeffler says it seeks out relationships with suppliers who are committed to the same goals, and integral to ensuring that its global supply chain remains agile and efficient despite the current challenges facing the global market.

“Despite high volatility in the markets, Schaeffler has continued to be a reliable partner to its customers and suppliers throughout more than one-and-a-half years,” Schick said. “Schaeffler has managed to work around major impacts on the world’s supply chains caused by factors such as the pandemic, disruptions to global transport routes, and extreme weather events.” Like other companies, Schaeffler is currently having to contend with supply bottlenecks for steel, an essential raw material for its products.

Schick presented awards to Schaeffler’s top-performing supply partners at a recent digital edition of the company’s Supplier Day, which was attended by over 500 representatives of strategic subcontractors. “We and our partners are committed to innovation and state-of-the-art technology across our entire supply chain,” he said. “We aim to create a sustainable long-term partner network with our strategically important suppliers.”

Schick told the attendees that Schaeffler isanticipating a significant increase in its overall procurement volume. “We and our partners will meet this challenge head-on through innovation and state-of-the-art technology across the entire supply chain,” he said. “We are also committed to building a sustainable long-term partner network with our strategically important suppliers.”