In a ceremony at the plant in Monterrey, Mexico on March 2, 2011, the Preh GmbH quality team received the prestigious Ford Motor Company Q1 Award. From left to right: Ruben Chavez, STA electrical manager, Ford Motor Company; Ivonne Rodriguez, quality manager, Preh de Mexico; Gerardo Bazan, STA engineer, Ford Motor Company and Horst Müller, CEO, Preh de Mexico.

Horst Mueller, chief operating officer at Preh’s Monterrey facility, said, “We are very proud that Ford has recognized our commitment to achieving continuous improvement. Our goal in this partnership is to supply top-quality products that meet the expectations of Ford’s customers. The Q1 award recognizes our hard work and the excellent results that our quality team achieved in Monterrey.” Miller added, “We are highly honored to be able to display the Q1 plaque from Ford at this facility.”

Since 2008, Preh has supplied interior climate control systems and electronic control units to Ford from its Monterrey production center. Ford established the global Q1 Quality System to guarantee uniformly high standards for component production and quality. Ford bestows this certificate upon suppliers who meet Ford’s stringent quality requirements in an exemplary manner and thereby achieve maximum customer satisfaction. Preh met these standards in particular in the areas of quality, reliability, material management and cost.

In qualifying for the award, Preh was required to undergo a rigorous audit, ensuring that the Preh group met Ford’s quality criteria. The group’s performance was also evaluated on a number of other criteria, such as manufacturing excellence, materials management and environmental compatibility. Alignment of policies and procedures with defined goals to ensure continuous improvement is another key factor.