Automotive Supplier Vari-Form Receives Ford Q1 Award for Hydroformed Component Production Quality, Reliability, and Service

TROY, Mich., May. 16 /PRNewswire/ --

TROY, Mich., May 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Vari-Form, one of the world's largest producers of hydroformed structural components for the automotive industry, received the prestigious Ford Q1 Award, Ford Motor Company's highest recognition for supplier quality, on April 25th, 2008 at a ceremony held in Strathroy, Ontario.

Vari-Form has supplied tube hydroform assemblies directly to Ford since 2007. Ford established the global Q1 Quality System to guarantee uniformly high standards for component production and quality, and bestows the award on suppliers who have demonstrated a high degree of customer satisfaction by meeting their stringent requirements in an exemplary manner. Specifically for Vari-Form, these included quality, reliability, material management and engineering services.

Stephen Dow, Vari-Form's President said: "We are extremely proud to be recognized by Ford as one of its Tier I Preferred Quality Status suppliers. This Q1 certification acknowledges the hard work and excellent results the Vari-Form team has achieved, and we are honored to display the Ford Q1 flag at our facility."

In order to qualify for the award, Vari-Form was required to undergo a rigorous audit, ensuring that the company met automotive quality criteria. The company's performance was also evaluated on a number of other criteria, including communication, teamwork and management review. Alignment of policies and procedures with defined goals to ensure continuous improvement is another key factor.

Vari-Form's patented Pressure Sequence Hydroforming (PSH) process has produced over 50 million parts worldwide since 1990, including front-end structures, roof rails, and other components. Vari-Form's process out-performs traditional stamping and conventional hydroforming in many applications where part design is complex. Fewer component sections to assemble, reduced part weight with improved structural integrity, and better dimensional control are among the benefits.

Vari-Form has won numerous consecutive-year contracts and awards for supplier excellence from its OEM and Tier One customers. The company operates sales offices in Michigan and Japan, and manufacturing facilities in Strathroy, Ontario, Canada; Liberty, MO, USA; and Reynosa, Mexico. For additional information about Vari-Form, see www.vari-form.com.