Automotive water and fuel pump manufacturer Airtex-ASC announced its North Canton, Ohio, cooling pump manufacturing facility has achieved Q1 certification from the Ford Motor Co.
The Ford Q1 certification is awarded to manufacturing locations that meet stringent quality requirements in five areas: system capability, high performance, superior manufacturing processes, delivery performance and customer satisfaction. The application process can take upward of a year, and the award indicates that Airtex-ASC is one of Ford’s preferred suppliers and is a leading supplier in the domestic automotive industry.
Airtex-ASC, the OE supplier of water pumps in the majority of new Ford vehicles, committed to improving its relationship with Ford by setting stringent goals for service shipments, supply chain controls and quality assurance. Year-to-date, Airtex-ASC has achieved a 100-percent supplier delivery rating with Ford. To qualify for the Q1 endorsement, a supplier must have an 80 percent or higher rating for six consecutive months. Over the past 12 months, Airtex-ASC has achieved a perfect quality score, with zero defects in 1,158,768 units shipped to Ford.
“Providing our customers with a superior, quality product delivered flawlessly is always our goal, and we are thrilled to receive this recognition from Ford,” said David Peace, president and CEO of Airtex-ASC. “This distinction is the result of hard work and dedication from our plant personnel, and it further deepens our commitment to continue delivering best-in-class results for Ford and all our customers.”
Representatives from the Ford Motor Co. visited the North Canton facility earlier this year to present Airtex-ASC with a plaque and flag recognizing Q1 status.