Ricardo strikes gold at Ford

Ricardo is feeling particularly pleased with itself today. Ricardo Inc. is one of 11 leading global suppliers to receive a Ford Gold award.

The World Excellence Awards ceremony is hosted each year by Ford Motor Company to recognize and celebrate the outstanding performance of the company’s top performing suppliers. The theme of this year’s awards was ‘Innovation.’

The awards were created to recognize exemplary supplier performance in quality, cost, relationships and delivery. The other Gold Award winners are: Active Aero Group, Belleville, Mi.; Advics North America, Lebanon, Oh.; Avisto Construction Company, Livonia, Mi.; Autoliv BIK SA, Spain; Borg Warner Poland, Jasionka, Poland; Dana Automotive Systems Group, Columbia, Missouri; Progress Werk Oberkirch, Oberkirch, Germany; Sony Electronics, Muang Chonburi, Thailand; Tower Automotive, Bellevue, Oh. and Webasto Roof & Components,Shierling, Germany. Silver Award winners included: Grob do Brasil SA and Mahle Engineering Components. ThyssenKrupp Presta Ilsenburg, Germany won a Silver Award for camshafts. John Liscombe Ltd, Newport, UK (personal protective equipment), which received a Silver Award, was the only other British company alongside Ricardo plc (Ricardo Inc of Van Buren, Mi. is part of Ricardo) to achieve success. John Liscombe  Ltd  of Newport, NP19 4PQ, supplies head, eye & face, hearing, respiratory, hand and footwear protection. Both Borg Warner Corporation and KUKA were included in Ford's Alligned Business Framework.

The intent of the awards is to acknowledge outstanding supplier contribution to the success of Ford and they are presented to suppliers which are successful in “leading Ford initiatives and delivering mutual success in customer satisfaction”.

“Ford’s World Excellence Awards allow us to recognize and thank our partners who support us in all we do,” said Hau Thai-Tang, group vice president, global purchasing. “In a year with a record number of global product introductions, Ricardo demonstrated a strong commitment to both quality and performance, and we’re honoured that they are a part of our ONE Ford team.” 

“I am pleased and deeply honoured to have been able to accept this award on behalf of the Ricardo team,” said Ricardo chief executive officer Dave Shemmans. He received the award from Ford’s president and chief executive officer Mark Fields.

However, no mention is made of which, in particular, of Ricardo’s programmes with Ford Motor Company prompted the award. The 17th Annual World Excellence Awards ceremony is held at Ford’s Dearborn, Michigan world headquarters.

“It is particularly gratifying that the hard work, dedication and commitment of Ricardo’s employees has been recognized by Ford in the year that we celebrate the 100th anniversary of our formation. I and my Ricardo colleagues in all parts of the world look forward to continuing to strive for excellence and innovation as we start our next century.”