CLEVELAND--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Power management company Eaton announced it has been named the 2014 “Supplier of the Year” for a second consecutive time by PACCAR Australia – the local producer of Kenworth-branded heavy-duty trucks. Presented in April, the annual awards recognize PACCAR’s top suppliers for outstanding performance during the prior calendar year.
“To win this award back-to-back is an outstanding achievement and testament to both the high quality of our products and the team’s commitment to the close partnership we have with Kenworth,” said Martin Toomey, general manager, Vehicle Group, Australia.
Awards are given across three categories that comprise like suppliers. Eaton received the category B award, which is given to suppliers that provide products that are custom made and specified for Kenworth. Performance is measured across six criteria, including: quality, warranty, on-time-delivery, engineering support, production support and cost containment.
With more than half of the available points weighted to quality and warranty, winning the award is testimony to the quality and reliability of Eaton’s truck components.
Customer expectations around lead time for a new truck have changed, and a typical wait from order to delivery of 10-12 weeks has now shortened to 4-6 weeks. This makes forecasting and inventory planning even more critical. Eaton’s commitment to maintaining 100-percent on-time delivery reduces lead times, allowing Kenworth the flexibility to optimize its production schedules and deliver trucks to customers more quickly.
Eaton’s Roadranger Field Marketing team also provides support to Kenworth by working closely with its factory sales team and dealer network to support new truck handovers and provide detailed driver training, particularly when customers are moving to automation for the first time. These activities help to create a positive experience for the operators and are an important contributor to ensuring the preference of fleets and truck owners for the Eaton components that are fitted on Kenworth trucks.
Kenworth trucks are designed and manufactured in Australia to meet the world’s toughest applications. Kenworth, a division of PACCAR Australia, is market leader in heavy-duty trucks in Australia. Its trucks also are exported to Papua New Guinea and New Zealand. PACCAR Inc., a Six Sigma company, is a global technology leader in the design, manufacture and customer support of high-quality light-, medium-, and heavy-duty trucks under the Kenworth, Peterbilt and DAF nameplates.
Eaton is a power management company with 2014 sales of $22.6 billion. Eaton provides energy-efficient solutions that help our customers effectively manage electrical, hydraulic and mechanical power more efficiently, safely and sustainably. Eaton has approximately 102,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 175 countries. For more information, visit www.eaton.com.