CARQUEST Announces 2004 Vendor of the Year and Technology Award Winners

CARQUEST recently named East Penn Manufacturing, supplier of CARQUEST Batteries and Battery Accessories, as its 2004 Vendor of the Year. The company also presented Technology Awards to four vendors: Gates Corp., which supplies CARQUEST Belts & Hose; the Affinia Group, supplier of CARQUEST Filters and Brakes; CARDONE, supplier of CARQUEST Remanufactured Products; and Airtex Products, supplier of CARQUEST Fuel Pumps. The awards were presented during CARQUEST’s annual Executive Briefing on April 13.

RALEIGH — CARQUEST recently named East Penn Manufacturing, supplier of CARQUEST Batteries and Battery Accessories, as its 2004 Vendor of the Year. The company also presented Technology Awards to four vendors: Gates Corp., which supplies CARQUEST Belts & Hose; the Affinia Group, supplier of CARQUEST Filters and Brakes; CARDONE, supplier of CARQUEST Remanufactured Products; and Airtex Products, supplier of CARQUEST Fuel Pumps. The awards were presented during CARQUEST’s annual Executive Briefing on April 13.

The CARQUEST Vendor of the Year Award was created in 1992 to recognize suppliers’ contributions to CARQUEST’s success through quality products and outstanding marketing support. Each vendor is evaluated on product quality, product availability, marketing programs, sales promotions, management responsiveness, order fill, operational issues and overall “passion” to be the best supplier.

“East Penn Manufacturing’s management team stays in constant contact and works with us in a spirit of partnership that is unmatched,” said Randall Long, CARQUEST vice president, product. “For any problems we may encounter, they are quick to bring us several suggestions of how they might help.”

In addition to helping CARQUEST consistently grow sales at a rate higher than the industry, East Penn Manufacturing has consistently won awards from Caterpillar, John Deere and Freightliner, including being the only supplier to score 100 percent in Freightliner’s “Master of Quality” Award the past two years and the only vendor to ever receive an Award of Excellence from CARQUEST.

The CARQUEST Technology Award recognizes CARQUEST vendor partners who have gone “above and beyond” to help the company achieve technological initiatives. Gates, Affinia and CARDONE volunteered to become pilot vendors and development partners for CARQUEST’s XML and Vision projects. Airtex Products volunteered to be the first to implement CARQUEST’s Vision Direct software, which provides a quick, inexpensive method for manufacturers and vendors to implement AAIA’s IPO standard.

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