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

    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.
 
 
 

SOURCE Vari-Form