​At an expanded conference encompassing all its manufacturing operations in Ohio and Indiana for the first time, Honda presented its Supplier of the Year awards to 12 top suppliers in its Maintenance, Repair and Operational (MRO) business areas today for excellence in their business performance. Numbering approximately 5,000 companies, Honda’s MRO suppliers are leading local, regional and national businesses that provide a wide range of goods and services that support product manufacturing. Many have grown with Honda’s expanding manufacturing in the United States, and some have opened operations near new Honda plants. “Today, we are acknowledging an outstanding group of suppliers that exemplify Honda’s philosophy of delivering the highest possible value to our customers through their quality products and customer service,” said Jan Gansheimer, who manages purchasing for Honda of America Mfg., Inc. “While our industry faces significant challenges, all of us at Honda thank them for their contribution to Honda’s success.” Honda invited more than 200 MRO suppliers to the conference this year, which expanded beyond those supplying Honda of America Mfg., Inc. into a regional event that also includes suppliers to Honda Manufacturing of Indiana LLC, and Honda Transmission Manufacturing of America, Inc., in Russells Point, Ohio. Gansheimer expressed her appreciation to all the suppliers for their efforts to support Honda operations during a historic economic recession and market decline. “You responded by making the necessary changes to keep your companies competitive,” she said. “At the same time, you maintained a critical focus on the customer. Your flexibility and willingness to work together have allowed us to weather this storm.” In addition to the awards, the annual conference is an opportunity to reflect on the previous year and set direction for the future in an auto industry that is facing a new reality of increased competition, rapid changes in technology and increasing demands for innovation in environmental areas. Honda and many of its suppliers have used this period of reduced production to eliminate waste from processes, gain efficiencies and reduce cost. “The events of the past year have fundamentally changed the auto industry, and there is no going back to ‘normal’,” said Honda of America Senior Vice President Jim Wehrman. “The key to the future lies in our ability to strengthen our core operations, and to quickly make necessary adjustments in line with the needs of society and conditions of the market.” Companies receiving Honda’s Supplier of the Year awards represent many of these competitive characteristics, by excelling in the key performance areas of safety, quality, cost, development and management. In addition to the 12 recipients recognized as top suppliers in the differentMRO categories, three companies received Honda’s Safety Excellence Award for their perfect record and leadership at managing safety performance while at Honda facilities. MRO suppliers in Honda’s Central Region support manufacturing operations at Honda’s new auto plant in Indiana, which started producing Civics in 2008 and the Civic GX compressed natural gas vehicle in 2009. They also support the operations of Honda’s two auto plants, and engine and transmission plants, in Ohio. The Marysville Auto Plant produces the Accord sedan and coupe, and the Acura TL and RDX. The East Liberty Auto Plant manufactures the new Accord Crosstour, CR-V and Element. In addition to the MRO suppliers, Honda has approximately 600 parts suppliers in North America. The OEM purchases exceeded $13 billion last year. 2010 Honda MRO Supplier of the Year Award DuPont Company, Wilmington, Del. OEM Materials Paints, coatings, factory fill fluids, sealers and adhesives Fuchs Lubricants Co., Harvey, Ill. Plant Process Materials Industrial oils, chemicals, lubricants, greases and gases Tapco Industries, Cincinnati, Ohio Electrical Motors, programmable controllers, sensors, cabling, lighting McAuliffe’s Industrial, Marysville, Ohio General Mill Hand tools, abrasives, fasteners and safety products Rosewood Machine & Tool, Rosewood, Ohio Precision Measurement Fabrications, made-to-print parts, gauges, fixtures and meters OTP Industrial Solutions, Columbus, Ohio Power Transmission Mechanical and fluid power products such as bearings, cylinders, pumps, gearboxes and valves Kennametal, Latrobe, Pa. Production Cutting Tools Drills, taps, inserts, tool holders, cutters and die punches Premier Manufacturing Support Services, Cincinnati, Ohio Industrial Services Contingent manpower, powered industrial vehicles, part repairs, calibration, packaging, leased office equipment Resource One, Cincinnati, Ohio Waste Services On-site waste management, recycling, waste hauling, industrial cleaning, various “Green Factory” initiatives Acrux Investigation Agency, Lakeview, Ohio Administration Security, cafeterias, building cleaning and maintenance, health care and uniforms Black Box Network Services, Lawrence, Pa. Information Systems — Managed Services Manage servers and related hardware, and various software and mobile devices Unicon International, Columbus, Ohio Information Systems – Consulting Contractors, programmers, support for software and systems 2010 Honda MRO Supplier Safety Excellence Award Area Electric & Energy, Sidney, Ohio Reliant Mechanical, East Liberty, Ohio Waste Management, Houston, Texas Recognizes suppliers for their initiatives to achieve and promote safe work practices while performing a variety of services at Honda facilities.