Mar 15 2006
Hydro's automotive components plant in Raufoss has captured yet another award from Toyota, the second-largest carmaker in the world.
The Raufoss plant delivers in Europe the rear bumper beam for the Toyota Avensis and the front bumper for the Corolla. The plant has been supplying aluminium bumper beams to Toyota since 2003.
The award is the third in three years that Toyota has awarded to the Raufoss plant. In 2004, the company won Toyota's supplier award for achievement in quality, while last year, Hydro received a similar prize for cost management. The most recent award is called the Regional Contribution Award 2005. On a global basis, Hydro is one of only three non-Japanese companies to receive the award.
"This is very pleasing for us, particularly because Toyota is in many ways a champion within the automotive business," says Matthias Schwabbauer, who is head of the Structures business unit in the Automotive sector of Hydro.
"Not only Raufoss, but Hydro's entire Automotive sector - representing 27 facilities on four continents - has learned a lot about Toyota's philosophy in cost-effective and quality oriented production systems. In fact, we have modeled our own Hydro Automotive Production System after the Toyota Production System.
"This work on continuous improvement has led to substantial gains in our production in recent years," he adds.
Hydro's Structures plant in the United States also supplies aluminium bumper beams to Toyota. Last year, Toyota honored the Holland, Michigan-based plant with a certificate of achievement for quality performance.