GM Supplier of the Year awards recognize 110 world-class suppliers

Automotive suppliers from 17 countries received the coveted GM Supplier of the Year award for going above and beyond GM’s requirements, designed to provide customers with the most innovative technologies that benefit customers and the industry’s highest quality vehicles.

GM’s 2015 recognition represents a nearly 40% increase in the number of suppliers recognized compared to 79 recipients in 2014. More than half of the suppliers are repeat winners from 2014.

“Our priorities are focused on building positive supplier relationships, bringing new, customer-centric innovations to GM, and being the OEM of choice among suppliers,” said Steve Kiefer, GM vice president, Global Purchasing and Supply Chain. “The companies we recognize tonight not only have brought innovation, they delivered it with the quality our customers deserve.”

One of the companies that received an award was Tenneco, a manufacturer and marketer of clean air and ride performance products. Speaking about the award, Gregg Sherrill, Tenneco chairman and chief executive officer said: “This award demonstrates Tenneco’s commitment to helping create greater value for our customers and delivering world-class Clean Air and Ride Performance products and solutions.”

During the event, GM debuted an Innovation award to recognize five suppliers who brought new innovations that benefit customers. Inaugural winners include Autoneum Holding AG; Delphi Automotive; Delta Electronics; Gentex Corporation; and FANUC Corporation.

• Autoneum – provided new lightweight acoustic material in the 2016 GMC Acadia that reduces mass by 20 percent while improving acoustic performance.
• Delphi – provided industry-first vehicle-to-vehicle wireless communication technology to provide 360-degree object detection, which can see beyond the line of sight and around large obstructions. GM will be the first to market with this technology available on the 2017 Cadillac CTS.
• Delta Electronics – supplied an on-board charger module in the 2016 Chevrolet Volt that converts AC power into DC power with the purpose of recharging the battery pack of an electric car.
• FANUC – developed an assembly plant paint robot application designed to prevent unexpected downtime while enhancing overall robot performance.
• Gentex – introduced industry-first rear camera mirror on the 2016 Cadillac CT6 that eliminates C-pillar obstacles and increases field of vision up to 300 percent.

GM also honored three companies – LGE/LG Chem., Brake Parts, and repeat winner Lear – with its Overdrive Award. The honor, first debuted in 2012, recognizes supply partners for extraordinary leadership in cultural change and commitment initiatives that drove exceptional business results for GM.

General Motors’ 2015 Supplier of the Year award winners include: