GM honors 5 tire makers as suppliers of the year

PHOENIX — General Motors Co. recently honored five tire makers—Bridgestone Corp., Cheng Shin Rubber Co. Ltd./Maxxis, Goodyear, Hankook Tire & Technology Co. Ltd. and Michelin—as suppliers of the year for 2021.

These five are among 134 companies honored by General Motors at its 30th annual Supplier of the Year awards ceremony, held recently in Phoenix.

First Brands Group Brake & Filtration (formerly Trico Corp.) and Lizhong Wheel Corp. also were among the suppliers recognized.

The supplier of the year award recognizes distinguished global suppliers that exceed GM's requirements, in turn providing GM customers with innovative technologies and among the highest quality in the automotive industry.

"This year's supplier of the year event was special not only because it's the 30th anniversary of the program, but because it provided us with the opportunity to recognize our suppliers for persevering through one of the most challenging years the industry has ever faced," Shilpan Amin, vice president, global purchasing and supply chain, said.

"These top suppliers showed resilience and reinforced their commitment to pursuing sustainability and innovation. Through our strong relationships and collaboration, GM and our suppliers are poised to build a brighter future for generations to come."

The honorees for 2021 include nine certified diverse suppliers.

Each of the tire companies singled out this year are multiple-year winners:

• For Bridgestone, the honor is the Japanese tire maker's 20th overall recognition and seventh in a row.
• For Cheng Shin/Maxxis, Hankook, and Michelin, it's the sixth year in a row they've earned supplier of the year honors.
• For Goodyear, it's at least the fifth year in a row.

"Strong partnerships are critical to the success of our business, and we are proud to be recognized by our longtime partner GM," said David Colletti, Bridgestone Americas' president of consumer original equipment tires in North America. "This award pays tribute to our teammates for their hard work and dedication to provide the best products and solutions to our customers. We look forward to many more years of delivering innovation and cutting-edge solutions to GM."