William Mitchell, which is part of the Rical Group, has been recognised with the Ford Q1 award, marking the 20th year it has been supplying fine blank components to the carmaker’s plants in the UK, Germany, South Africa, Argentina, India, Turkey, and the United States.
The certification was presented to the management team and staff at the Black Country firm’s factory in Smethwick last week.
It is only given to companies who demonstrate excellence beyond the ISO/TS standard in five key areas - capable systems, continuous improvement, on time delivery and quality, superior manufacturing processes and customer satisfaction.
“This is a really special moment for the business and reinforces our strategic supplier status with Ford,” commented Howard Nuttall, General Manager at William Mitchell.
“Our fine blanked components are used extensively in the automotive sector and end up in engines, seating mechanisms, drivetrain systems, window regulators, door latch and braking systems.”
He continued: “We are producing to exacting quality every day and in large volumes, with our 80-strong workforce successfully supplying Ford for the past two decades.
“The Q1 Award is a prestigious standard acknowledged by automotive OEMs andsupply chains globally and demonstrates the strong foundations that underpin our strategy for growth in both home and international markets.”
