Tata Steel picks up JCB award

A leading supplier to the off-road construction equipment industry, 5359 Tata Steel, has received a Supplier Performance Award 2012 at 633 JCB's Supplier Conference in Rochester, UK, an event an annual conference attended by over 240 of JCB's key suppliers. It recognised those that particularly excelled during the year, and of the nine companies shortlisted, Tata Steel was one of three to receive the accolade at the event.

Presenting the award was JCB's chairman Sir Anthony Bamford and JCB's CEO Alan Blake, with Koen ten Broek, Tata Steel's global account manager JCB, and Gareth Beese, Tata Steel's sales and marketing director, lifting and excavating, on hand to accept.

Speaking at the event, Koen ten Broek said: "This is fantastic recognition of all the hard work that Tata Steel and JCB continue to invest in establishing a strong partnership together."

The Supplier Performance Awards assess five key areas of business, including quality, cost, innovation, delivery and management. The lifting and excavating team within Tata Steel has focused on a number of critical initiatives and projects over the last 12 months.

The company supplies a “competitive product” in a wide variety of sizes, grades and conditions as required by JCB, and their quality allows JCB's laser cutting to operate at high speed and efficiency. Tata Steel and JCB are also working together on new product designs that incorporate high strength steels, and are experimenting with alternative welding techniques for major fabrications.

"JCB rightly demand world-class service from its suppliers and Tata Steel has responded," explains Gareth Beese. "With a global account manager, regardless of product or location, we're closely aligned to JCB's business and deliver materials and services tailored to its needs. We're no longer a commodity supplier."

Koen ten Broek added: "The fact that Tata Steel has been acknowledged is due, in no small degree, to JCB's recognition of the importance of suppliers. This is confirmation that Tata Steel is on the right track and the challenge now is to develop the partnership even more successfully."