ROME, Ga. (Dec. 15, 2006) — Ford Motor Co. has awarded Pirelli Tire North America Inc.'s Rome factory its Q1 Accreditation for operational excellence and exceptional customer commitment, the tire maker said.
Q1 Accreditation is a set of fundamental quality and manufacturing disciplines that guide cooperation between Ford and its suppliers for superior quality execution. Pirelli said it has met or exceeded each criteria in every Q1 category as a Ford supplier.
This process involved all staff at every level throughout Pirelli Tire North America by applying understandable metrics to drive high quality, the firm said. Suppliers are expected to attain a specific mark, to put tools in place to maintain excellence and to improve over time.
Pirelli supplies Ford in North America with tires for the Ford Mustang, Focus, Crown Victoria, Freestyle, 5 Hundred, F-150 and Super Duty F-250 and F-350 pickup trucks, Mercury Grand Marquis and Montego, Lincoln TownCar and Navigator and Mazda 6 from the Rome plant—which uses the company's Modular Integrated Robotized System technology—and from plants in Brazil.