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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Kaiser Gets Q-1 Award From Ford Automaker Honors Firm For Delivery Record, Zero Defects

Grayden Jones Staff writer

Two years of delivering perfect rolled and ingot aluminum to Ford Motor Co. has landed Kaiser Aluminum Co. among an elite group of suppliers that the automaker says it’s counting on.

Officials with the Detroit automaker Thursday presented the prestigious Ford Q-1 Award to 300 employees at the Trentwood rolling mill in the Valley. The quality award symbolizes Ford’s slogan, “Quality is Job 1,” and is important to Kaiser because it seals the manufacturer as a major supplier to Ford for future vehicle productions.

“Kaiser should grow with Ford Motor Co. as a supplier for many, many years to come,” said Mark Casey, Ford’s steel and aluminum purchasing manager, as he stood between a pair of F150 pickup trucks equipped with wheels and radiators made of Kaiser aluminum. “Without the Q1, it’s like not having the keys to these trucks: you won’t get very far.”

Since January 1995, when Kaiser replaced another Ford aluminum manufacturer, the Trentwood factory has shipped 47 million pounds of brazing sheet aluminum to Ford’s plant in Connersville, Ind., and aluminum ingot to a separate manufacturer who produces Ford wheels, Casey said.

The shipments to Connersville account for $21 million in sales per year, said Peter Brown, sales and marketing manager for Kaiser’s automotive products. Aluminum sold for wheels in 1997 will garner $15 million, he said.

Ford in June 1995 began the process of tracking Kaiser products for defects and delivery. The company thus far has had a perfect delivery record and zero defects, Casey said.

Ford is the third-largest customer in Kaiser’s aerospace, transportation and industry products division.

More than 1,400 people work at the Trentwood plant.

, DataTimes