ZF awards 14 of its top suppliers

ZF Friedrichshafen AG has recognised its outstanding suppliers with the ZF Supplier Awards. This year, the technology company handed out a total of 14 awards in different categories. This year’s eighth awards event was also a premiere: The first global Supplier Day, with ZF and ZF TRW jointly presenting the "Supplier Awards".

E. Winkemann GmbH emerged from a multi-stage process as the winner of the ‘Innovation’ category. For over 20 years, the company from Plettenberg has been supplying ZF Friedrichshafen AG with precision punching parts that are installed, for example, in every one of the company’s 8-speed automatic transmissions – including ‘ thrust washers, which absorb axial loads during a rotating movement.

The countries of origin of the award winners in the ‘Production Materials’ category perfectly reflect ZF’s global orientation. The eight award-winning companies are headquartered in seven countries: MAT Foundry Group (Great Britain), Staamp (Italy), Murata Manufacturing (Japan), Sunil M Tech (South Korea), Grüner Systemtechnik, UTT Technische Textilien (both Germany), WR Controls (Sweden), and Taigene Electric Machinery (Taiwan).

Winners in the ‘Non-Production Materials’ category include Balluff GmbH, which has supplied ZF with sensors and systems for assembly lines, as well as Kontane Logistics, a tried-and-trusted logistics partner from the US southwest. The Esslingen-based, family-owned and operated company Festo has been supporting ZF for decades with factory and process automation solutions, and Turin-based specialized machine manufacturer Vigel, which recently equipped the new ZF TRW plant in Zhangjiagang with processing centers, were also among the award recipients in this category.

Fuchs Petrolub earned a special award as the 2015 Global Supplier of the Year. The company supplied 21 000 tons of oil and lubricants to ZF in the past year. The jury praised the high quality and flexibility of the Mannheim-based suppliers. Additionally, Fuchs Petrolub is also active in the special ZF growth markets thanks to their own production location.

“In order to remain a global benchmark, we are striving to be the leader in both innovation and cost efficiency. In this regard, our suppliers' contribution is substantial." Wilhelm Rehm, member of the Board of Management responsible for Corporate Materials Management among other things, underlined the significance of innovative, globally active and reliable suppliers, the best of which have received the ‘ZF Supplier Awards’.