Thirteen Companies Recognized for Delivering Optimum Solutions

WASHINGTON, April 6, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Postal Service has honored 13 companies for superior supply chain performance and delivering optimum solutions that reduce costs, enhance performance, maintain high levels of service and provide innovative and sustainable solutions.

At a recent ceremony at Postal Service headquarters, the 2010 winning companies received awards in six categories: Supplier Performance, Supplier Excellence, Supplier Innovation, Supplier Diversity, Supplier Sustainability Excellence, and Postal Supplier Council Excellence.

"Your continued innovative ideas will help the Postal Service grow the business, improve the customer experience, and become leaner, faster and smarter," said Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe. "Your partnership has enabled us to accomplish good things, and I appreciate that you've given your best to the Postal Service and to the American people."

Susan Brownell, vice president, Supply Management, helped present the awards. "Suppliers play a key role in the success of the Postal Service," said Brownell. "You are the cream of the crop and serve as role models to thousands of suppliers. You help us deliver excellent service to our customers each day, and I hope to see you here again next year."

The 2010 winners are:

Eaton Corporation, Cleveland, OH

Supplier Performance Award

Eaton Corporation provides power distribution maintenance services for electrical switchgear equipment in Postal Service facilities nationwide.

Kevin McLean, senior vice president, Global Marketing

"Eaton proudly accepts the U.S. Postal Service Supplier Performance Award for operational excellence in executing our National Switchgear Predictive and Preventive Maintenance contract. We appreciate being nominated by postal professionals and this is recognition of Eaton's exceptional electrical business and our dedication to serving the USPS and other public sector customers."

Hallmark Custom Marketing, Kansas City, MO

Supplier Performance Award

Hallmark Custom Marketing provides ReadyPost Postal Service-branded retail packaging and mailing supplies sold in Postal Service retail lobbies nationwide.

Donald J. Hall Jr., president and CEO, Hallmark Cards, Inc.

"The USPS is an important partner, and we value our relationship, built on a long-standing and shared commitment to quality and service. We are pleased Hallmark was chosen to receive this honor, one that epitomizes the high standards of the Postal Service for providing superior service to its customers."

NCR Corporation, Duluth, GA

Supplier Performance Award

NCR Corporation provides retail equipment, software and services.

Bill Nuti, chairman and chief executive officer

"NCR is truly honored to receive the Supplier Performance Award from the U.S. Postal Service. This award reflects NCR's dedication to the USPS mission by delivering superior customer service, solutions and software that operate and support their Post Offices nationwide. NCR takes great pride in its partnership with USPS and we look forward to building on our partnership for many years."

United Cargo, Chicago, IL

Supplier Performance Award

United Cargo provides mail and package air transportation services.

Robbie Anderson, president

"The airline that evolved into United was formed in 1926 for the purpose of carrying mail, and the United States Postal Service has been our largest customer since United Cargo began. So we are honored and gratified to be selected as a 2010 USPS Supplier Performance Award winner. We work very hard to achieve performance excellence across our global mail network, and we're very proud that the Postal Service recognizes our efforts. As we complete our merger integration into the world's leading carrier, we anticipate even greater success in our collaboration with the USPS."

W.W. Grainger, Inc., Lake Forest, IL

Supplier Performance Award

W.W. Grainger provides maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) supplies to postal facilities nationwide.

Mark Hanna, vice president, Government Sales

"On behalf of the entire Grainger team, we're honored to receive the U.S. Postal Service Supplier Award.  Our team members across the country work hard each day to make it fast and easy for postal professionals to get the products they need to repair, maintain and operate their facilities. We do this as part of our commitment to helping the Postal Service enhance its bottom line performance and achieve its mission of providing mail service to the American public. We look forward to continuing to work with the Postal Service to achieve these goals."

The Gordian Group, Mauldin, SC

Supplier Excellence Award

The Gordian Group provides job order contracting services for facility construction projects.

Robert D. Coffey, president and CEO

"The Gordian Group is honored and touched to be receiving this award. We hold our relationship with the USPS and our many teammates there in the highest regard and are proud of the significant strides we have made together in developing and implementing a job order contracting program that provides such significant benefits. The success of the program is due to dozens of people in both of our organizations who rolled up their sleeves and got this work accomplished. This prestigious award is due to their effort, and I want to take this opportunity to thank them for it."

Western Industrial Contractors, Aurora, CO

Supplier Excellence Award

Western Industrial Contractors provides material handling and mechanization products and services.

Robert M. Vacek, president and chief executive officer

"On behalf of the entire Western Industrial Contractors team, we value and appreciate this recognition from the USPS. Western has supported the USPS as a certified engineering, fabrication, installation and integration contractor for more than 12 years and over these years has enjoyed the relationships we have built with professionals throughout the organization. These relationships have been critical to our ability to evolve our capabilities and successfully complete numerous fixed mechanization and modernization projects at facilities throughout the country."

Florence Manufacturing Company, Manhattan, KS

Supplier Innovation Award

Florence Manufacturing provides mail collection boxes, distribution equipment and related supplies and services.

Stephen Duffy, president, Engineered Products Group - Gibraltar Industries, Inc.

"Florence Manufacturing is deeply honored to receive this award for Supplier Innovation from the U.S. Postal Service. It is especially meaningful to the team of Florence associates who support USPS on a daily basis and because of the importance we place on driving innovation in our own business processes to provide high quality solutions for all our customers. We look forward to supporting the Postal Service in ways that continue to help it move forward in achieving its important mission and business objectives."

Lean Sigma Professionals, Charlotte, NC

Supplier Innovation Award

Lean Sigma Professionals provides consulting and training services in Lean Six Sigma methodologies.

Ian Cato and Ismael Sanchez, managing partners.

"Working with the dedicated members of the Postal Service to help this storied institution execute to its maximum efficiency has been our privilege. Being presented with the Supplier Innovation Award is a great honor and a testament to the fact that the Lean Six Sigma methodology can generate significant sustainable savings."

Eaton Corporation, Cleveland, OH

Supplier Diversity Award

Eaton Corporation provides power distribution maintenance services for the electrical switchgear equipment in Postal Service facilities nationwide.

Kevin McLean, senior vice president, Global Marketing

"Eaton gratefully accepts the U.S. Postal Service Supplier Diversity Award, which is recognition of our commitment to doing business right. Eaton believes that a diverse supplier base is vital to the success and continued growth of our company and the community. We are honored to know the Postal Service appreciates our commitment."

IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY

Supplier Diversity Award

IBM provides the Postal Service with business consulting services, mail transit time measurement, and software services.

William Takis, partner

"IBM is honored to be selected as a recipient of the 2010 USPS Supplier Diversity Award. This award exemplifies IBM's commitment to supplier diversity in both our workforce and supply chains. The United States Postal Service continues to lead the way in both supporting and ensuring supplier diversity through its continued support and emphasis on ensuring that small, minority, and women-owned businesses continue to be a major player in its critical mission. Through this award, IBM is proud to be recognized as a leader in the area of supplier diversity."

Lockheed Martin, Baltimore, MD

Supplier Diversity Award

Lockheed Martin provides the Postal Service with automation equipment and information technology services.

Dan Schultz, vice president and general manager, Lockheed Martin Ship & Aviation Systems

"We are honored to have received this recognition from the U.S. Postal Service. This award is a testament to the good working relationship between Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Postal Service to deliver high-quality products to our customers."

Marriott Hotel Services, Inc., Bethesda, MD

Supplier Sustainability Excellence Award

Marriott Hotel Services, Inc., manages the National Employee Center for Development (NCED), a living, learning and conferencing campus in Norman, OK.

Mari L. Snyder, vice president, Social Responsibility & Community Engagement

"Marriott is honored to receive the U.S. Postal Service's Supplier Performance Award. We were especially pleased to learn that employees nominated us for this award. Marriott's focus on sustainability delivers more value for our customers, like USPS, while ensuring a more sustainable future for all. We look forward to progressing our sustainability efforts as part of Marriott's reputation for excellence with guests, associates, business partners and our global community."

Foth Production Solutions, LLC, Green Bay, WI

Postal Supplier Council Excellence Award

Foth Production Solutions provides the Postal Service with engineering services and solutions focused in the areas of infrastructure, environmental engineering and science, production solutions engineering and manufacturing.

Tim Weyenberg, CEO

"Foth Production Solutions is truly honored to receive this award. There is no better proof we can receive that we are providing personalized, client-centered service to our customers than for them to recognize our company through a supplier performance award. Postal Supplier Council has been a great forum for cooperation, exchange of ideas and open communication with the postal service stakeholders. We value our involvement in the council and look forward to future collaborations."

For high res photo of award winners contact darlene.casey@usps.gov.

For more information about the Postal Service's supplier initiatives, visit http://www.usps.com/suppliers/welcome.htm.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

Please note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at www.usps.com/news.

A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With 32,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $67 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world's mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 29th in the 2010 Fortune 500. Black Enterprise and Hispanic Business magazines ranked the Postal Service as a leader in workforce diversity. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency six consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.

SOURCE U.S. Postal Service