By Nick Green
CADILLAC — Michigan Rubber received a General Motors’ supplier award Wednesday for their high quality and standard of parts manufactured for the automotive company.
About 350 North American sites — a plant or operation where parts are produced — and 1,440 global sites receive the Supplier Quality Excellence Award each year.
Butch Bruce, Michigan Rubber general manager, said an on-going relationship with GM has helped keep employment numbers up, parts production high and kept the company striving to reach the next level of excellence.
“There is a high standard that GM sets,” Bruce said. “GM is creating new quality standards — we met those standards and maintained them for a year.”
Mark Vanderheyden, GM representative and award presenter, said that this is not an award that is given — it is earned.
“This award is given to the best of the best globally,” Vanderheyden said. “It is based on metrics, strictly objective and the strongest set of numbers win.”
Michigan Rubber is both a tier one and tier two supplier to GM, meaning they supply directly and indirectly via a third party.
Cindy Hamner, Michigan Rubber quality manager, worked tirelessly for this award and to achieve a Built in Quality Supplier accreditation, Bruce said.
“This award was a collaboration from everyone on the shop floor to senior staff,” Hamner said. “We worked and are working together to continuously improve our quality standards.”
A pre-audit for the BIQS accreditation was completed six months ago and Wednesday was the final audit carried out by GM.
Vanderheyden added that he always enjoyed visiting Cadillac and the plant. The continuous strive for excellence gets him excited for GM’s future and its suppliers, he said.
source: cadillacnews.com