VWSA Suppliers Shine MyZA

Volkswagen Group South Africa presented its “2010 Annual Supplier Awards” to its top suppliers during an evening of celebrations in Johannesburg on Wednesday 25 May 2010.

The evening also included a celebration of the Volkswagen brand’s 60th anniversary in South Africa. Volkswagen Group South Africa Managing Director, David Powels, thanked the suppliers for the important role that they have played in the success of the company which now exports nearly two thirds of its production. “This year more than 80 000 Polo’s will be exported worldwide, and proof of our ability to deliver top class quality vehicles to the world was the winning of the Japanese Import Car of the Year in 2010, which would not have been possible without world class suppliers in South Africa”.

“A highlight for our guests was that they were amongst the very first consumers in the world to see the newly-launched next generation New Beetle – flown in from Germany specially for the occasion,” said Powels

In his speech, the Company’s Head of Purchasing, Wolfgang Biegner, thanked the suppliers for their successful co-operation during 2010 and looked at the tasks which lie ahead.

“Volkswagen Group South Africa requires all its suppliers to achieve, at least, a Level 6 compliance level. “Proof of the effectiveness of this is that the Company spent over R4 billion on Preferential Procurement in 2009. This has enabled us to achieve Level 4 compliance as a Company. Moving forward, we will be working more closely to support our suppliers in achieving our objectives of ensuring all our suppliers are at least a Level 6 compliance or better,” said Biegner.

For the first time this year, a new category was introduced. The Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment Award was given to a supplier who showed excellent work in taking steps to support Volkswagen’s commitment to sustainable transformation, particularly Preferential Procurement.

The winners in the respective Supplier of the Year categories were:

Powertrain Commodities – Behr Engine Cooling
Electrical Commodities – East Cape Wiring
Exterior Commodities – Valeo
Interior – Takata-Petri
Metallic Commodities – Girlock
General Purchasing Services – Afrox Limited
Parts and Accessories – Autobax
Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment – Eberspaecher

Over the past three years, the Volkswagen Group South Africa has invested over R1.1 billion in the local component industry. “Today I can proudly say that we, Volkswagen Group South Africa and its suppliers, have achieved through hard work and dedication its goal of ensuring a higher local content level of 70%,” said Biegner. “This is critical in ensuring the sustainability of the local automotive sector and shows a commitment on the part of the Company in investing and developing of the economy of South Africa,” he concluded.