The Timken Company Receives Chrysler Corporation's Platinum Pentastar Award
24 December 1997
The Timken Company Receives Chrysler Corporation's Platinum Pentastar AwardCANTON, Ohio, Dec. 24 -- The Timken Company has been awarded Chrysler Corporation's Platinum Pentastar Award, the most prestigious award Chrysler can bestow on a supplier, during Dec. 12 ceremonies at the Chrysler Technology Center in Auburn Hills, Mich. The Platinum Pentastar recognizes every aspect of a company's manufacturing and service, including quality, technology, cost reduction, delivery and service. "It is indeed an honor to win Chrysler's Platinum Pentastar Award," said Bob Leibensperger, executive vice president/president-bearings. "This comes after receiving the Chrysler Role Model Award for Quality the past two years and the Gold Pentastar the past several years and demonstrates, I believe, that our continuous improvement efforts are paying dividends." "This is a great accomplishment for our company and our associates," said Bill Bowling, executive vice president/president - steel. "The Platinum Pentastar is recognized as one of the most prestigious awards in our industry and we are proud to have been selected a recipient." The Timken Company's relationship with Chrysler began in 1915 when Timken supplied six bearings for the "Dodge Four" car. In that same year, Timken also supplied bearings to the Chalmers Motor Co., which became Maxwell- Chalmers in the '20s and, ultimately the Chrysler Corp. Today, Timken supplies Chrysler with transmission, axle and SENSOR-PAC(TM) wheel bearings and gears and races made from Timken seamless steel tubing for automatic transmissions. Timken achieved more than a seven percent savings in the Chrysler Supplier Cost Reduction Effort (SCORE) program during the 1997 model year, and has shipped more than 120 million bearings to Chrysler in the past five years averaging an outstanding rating of 1.0 defective parts per million pieces. The Platinum Pentastar Award recognizes associates at most of the company's bearing and steel manufacturing plants in North America that make products for Chrysler, as well as associates who design the product and support the design and manufacturing efforts. "It took the efforts of thousands of Timken associates to win this coveted award," said Don Cooperrider, account manager - automotive - bearings - Detroit. "Everyone at Timken who makes a product for Chrysler, designs a product or supports these efforts in any way should be congratulated." The Timken Company is a leading international manufacturer of highly engineered bearings and alloy steels. The company employs some 19,000 associates worldwide and reported 1996 sales of about U.S. $2.4 billion. SOURCE Timken Company