Grede, Southfield, Michigan, announced that its facility in New Castle, Indiana, has been given Ford Motor Company’s Q1 Award, which recognizes outstanding quality and performance. According to a news release, the Ford Q1 award means the facility has achieved excellence in “product quality, systems capabilities, materials management, logistics and delivery.”
“We are extremely proud to have earned this recognition from Ford,” said Todd Heavin, chief operating officer, Grede. “It validates our commitment to being a key partner with Ford and is a testament to the New Castle plant’s employee culture of continuous improvement in safety, quality, delivery, cost reduction, and overall plant operational excellence.
“Grede New Castle implemented a number of changes to its operating practices over the past three years to earn the Q1 award, including changing from batch production processes to continuous-flow, automating manual processes with the installation of trim presses, in-sourced part finish processing, and adding automated inspection systems. The total result has been to provide Ford, and all customers, with higher quality products, on time, and at a lower cost.”
The Q1 plaque and flag were presented by Ford executives at a ceremony at the New Castle facility. Present were Grede executives, plant employees and local government officials.
Grede’s New Castle facility produces axle carriers for Ford’s F-150, F-250 and the new Mustang. It specializes in highly cored, ductile iron castings.