SANTA ANA, Calif., Jan. 28, 2013 – Simrit’s Santa Ana, Calif., facility was recently awarded United Technologies Corp.’s (UTC) Supplier Gold status for outstanding performance in delivery, quality, lean practices and customer support. This is the first time Simrit’s Santa Ana facility – the only aerospace O-ring manufacturing facility to be honored this year – earned Supplier Gold status. This is Simrit’s second aerospace facility honored by UTC, as the company’s Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada facility has been recognized in previous years.
“When you work in industries where quality performance is critically important, it becomes a cornerstone of your everyday operation,” said Carsten Mueller, Santa Ana lead center manager, Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies. “This award recognizes the unwavering commitment of our Santa Ana employees to achieve and continuously maintain an exceptional level of quality, delivery performance and lean manufacturing principles.”
The Supplier Gold award was established to facilitate and accelerate superior supplier practices and recognizes suppliers for exceptional performance. The five criteria that are used to evaluate suppliers for this award are: excellent customer service; on-time product delivery; best-in-class quality; cost; and use of lean practices throughout operations.
“As an aerospace-focused facility, quality is paramount,” said Vinay Nilkanth, vice president of global sales, aerospace, Simrit. “I thank UTC for recognizing and honoring our Santa Ana facility for its dedication to the strictest quality standards. It is a testimonial to our continuous improvement efforts and will further expand business opportunities within UTC.”
The Santa Ana plant has more than 30 years of experience in manufacturing aerospace O-rings, plate seals and molded shapes. The facility is AS-9100 and Nadcap-approved for critical aerospace applications and is the first O-ring plant in the world to receive this prestigious certification. Additionally, it houses an American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) certified laboratory and produces nitrile, ethylene propylene diene monomer, silicone, fluorosilicone, fluorocarbon and Simriz® perfluorinated elastomeric components.
Simrit is part of Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies and offers an extensive portfolio of precision-manufactured products for the aerospace, agriculture, appliance, construction, energy, fluid power, mechanical power generation, mechanical power transmission and recreation markets. Simrit’s global sales exceed $1.3 billion. For more information, visit the Simrit website at www.simrit.com.
