Hamilton manufacturer BILSTEIN celebrates status as top supplier for Ford
Jun. 28—Employees and leaders at Hamilton's largest manufacturer gathered Wednesday for a flag ceremony to celebrate receiving Ford Q1 Certification.
Each year, Ford Motor Company awards roughly 100 of its more than 1,400 Tier 1 production suppliers with Q1 certification. This year, Hamilton's thyssenkrupp BILSTEIN was among the recipients. Tier 1 suppliers provide the thousands of parts necessary to create Ford's vehicles, and its overachievers in service and quality are awarded Q1 status each year.
BILSTEIN CEO Drew Guthridge said the Q1 Certification is the highest quality award suppliers can receive from Ford. He said the achievement reflects on the company's collective effort and dedication to high-quality production. The company supplies the suspension for a number of vehicles including the Ford Bronco and the Ford Ranger.
"A very select group of Ford suppliers are given this award, this certification," Guthridge said. "And for us, it means the continuation of our excellent business we've done with Ford in the past few years."
BILSTEIN began as a company producing metal window fittings in 1873 before transitioning to the production of shock absorbers in the early 1900s. Today, the company's North American headquarters and production facility are both in Hamilton, and more than 400 local employees work for the company.
Last year, the Hamilton campus saw a $20 million expansion for a new research and development branch, and BILSTEIN expects to add 75 jobs over the next few years.
For Josie Fahr, a former BILSTEIN employee who now works for Ford as an STA engineer, the Q1 certification represents the top-notch employees the company has attracted.
"There's this magical quality that I've seen in many of you where you have this empowerment to do your best.
"I see a lot of faces who have been here for the past three years where I have been visiting your plant, watching you grow, watching you improve," Fahr said to a crowd of hundreds of employees during the ceremony, "and it's very impressive."
Kevin Faust, senior customer quality engineer, said the accomplishment is a source of pride for everyone at BILSTEIN.
"We are best in class," Faust said.
Angela Suttles, a line lead at BILSTEIN who helped raise the Q1 flag, said the certification symbolizes the hard work of her team.
"We come in every day, and we get our hands dirty," Suttles said. "We have a lot of frustration, but this means that we've worked hard for this."
