Scott Garberding, Head of Group Purchasing, Fiat S.p.A.
Chrysler Group LLC and Fiat S.p.A. executives recently met with approximately 3,000 supplier representatives at their 2014 Annual Strategy Meeting and Supplier Awards Ceremony held at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Scott Garberding, Head of Group Purchasing, Fiat S.p.A., and Scott Kunselman, Head of Purchasing and Supplier Quality, Chrysler Group discussed the importance of the event’s theme “Putting Quality in the Driver’s Seat” as well as how the supply base will support Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in the future.
“A thriving, healthy supply base is critical to our ability to support Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ five-year plan,” said Garberding. “This event gives us an opportunity to thank our top-performing suppliers for the contributions they make to our successes, to honor extraordinary performance and to strengthen our future collaborations.”
Brand leaders including Al Gardner, President and CEO of Chrysler Brand, Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar Brand Service, Parts and Customer Care, Tim Kuniskis , President and CEO of Dodge Brand, SRT Brand & Head of Fleet Operations and Jason Stoicevich, Head of FIAT Brand for North America also spoke to the group, outlining their brand strategies and reinforced the company’s plan for strong growth.
“Our supply base manufactures more than 70 percent of the content on our cars and trucks,” said Kunselman. “It is critical that they are as focused as we are on creating innovative, high-quality vehicles that our customers want to drive. Our award-winning suppliers have proven themselves to be motivated, capable and excited to be on the Chrysler team.”
The 2013 Chrysler Group Supplier of the Year award recipients are:
- Quality: Yanfeng USA – Automotive Trim Systems Inc.
- Design for Six Sigma – Robert Bosch LLC
- Innovation – Sprint Corporation
- Tooling Analysis Group – Integrity Tool & Mold Inc.
- Sustainability – Williamston Products, Inc.
- Diversity Supplier Development – Barton Malow company
- Supply Chain Management – Flex-N-Gate
- Logistics – Hapag-Lloyd AG
- Technical Cost Reduction – Cummins Inc.
- World Class Manufacturing – Pintura y Ensambles de Mexico, S.A. de C.V.
- Capital Equipment – ChemicoMays
- Metallic – Mando Corporation
- Powertrain – Cummins Inc.
- Electrical – Delphi Automotive PLC
- Chemical – Hwaseung Rubber & Automotive Co. Ltd.
- MOPAR – Hollingsworth Logistics Group
- Services – Syncreon
- Emerging Supplier – AGM Automotive, Inc.
Scott Kunselman, Head of Purchasing and Supplier Quality, Chrysler Group addresses
Award recipients were determined based on an evaluation of each company’s External Balanced Scorecard performance in 2013 – a rating system that evaluates supplier performance in areas such as quality, delivery, cost, warranty and partnership – and input from Chrysler Group senior leadership. Suppliers were able to nominate themselves to receive consideration for the Sustainability and Diversity Supplier Development award categories.
Chrysler Group’s Purchasing and Supplier Quality organization has had a renewed focus on supplier relations since 2009. Activities such as regular supplier town hall forums, focused supplier advisory councils and surveys of the supply base have helped the company foster more positive, mutually beneficial supplier relationships.
The company has also recently instituted programs that enhance collaboration and earlier supplier engagement in vehicle program development, foster supplier innovation, drive implementation of supplier generated ideas to optimize the value of purchased components and has executed many process and system improvements to help suppliers work with the company more effectively. According to the annual Planning Perspectives survey, the company has improved working relations with suppliers by an industry-best 51 percent since 2009.
