Rheem Water Heating Honors Top Suppliers

The Rheem Water Heating division paid special tribute to several of its suppliers at its annual Supplier Awards Ceremony, held July 29 at Wynlakes Golf and Country Club in Montgomery, AL. The awards were presented by Alan Kessler, corporate vice president of research and development; Ken Jarosz, corporate vice president of strategic Sourcing; C.E. Murrell, Montgomery plant manager; and Bill Kennedy, supplier development manager. Winners in the commodity groups were: - Manufactured Components: Central United Corp., Newburg, WI - Plastic/Rubber Components: Mercury Plastics, Inc., Middlefield, OH - Electrical-Mechanical Components: Quality Networks, Wetumpka, AL - Printed/Packaging/Insulation Components: CM Associates, Tinley Park, IL - Raw Materials: Bayer Material Sciences, Pittsburgh, PA - Distribution: Store Room Fasteners, Montgomery, AL. Supplier-Partner of the Year awards are based upon rated performance in five specific categories: technology, delivered product quality, service and support, delivery, and cost. Also presented was the “Most Improved Supplier” award, presented annually to the supplier that has demonstrated the most overall improvement in delivered product quality and supplier-rating performance versus the previous year. This year’s winner was Burner Systems International, Chattanooga, TN. In addition, 10 companies were cited for achieving “zero defects” or no incoming/in-process material rejections in the products and services they supplied to Rheem Water Heating during 2007. The award recipients were: - Beckett Gas, North Ridgeville, OH - Combined Metals, Chicago, IL - Newcomb Spring, Lithonia, GA - Central United Corp., Newburg, WI - HB Fuller, Covington, GA - ICA Corp, Montgomery, AL - Multi-Matix, Centerville, AR - Nomaco, Zebulon, NC - US Silica, Pacific, MO - Valspar, Covington, GA. “Strong, mutually productive supplier relationships are a vital part of our success at Rheem,” Ken Jarosz comments. “These awards are an expression of the high value Rheem places on working closely with our suppliers to maintain the quality standards that our customers have come to expect.” PHOTO: Tim Wilsford (holding plaque), president/owner of Store Room Fasteners in Montgomery, AL, receives the award for 2007 Supplier-Partner of the Year - Distribution from Rheem’s (left to right) Supplier Development Manager BIll Kennedy; Corporate Vice President of Strategic Sourcing, Ken Jarosz; and Corporate Vice President of Research & Development Alan Kessler.