Meritor's Aftermarket business has been awarded the prestigious 2012 North American Industry Product Quality Leadership Award by Frost & Sullivan for the company's remanufactured brake shoes.
"We recognize that the production of high quality remanufactured brakes is a constant challenge for the heavy-duty trucking industry," said Janardan Damani, research analyst, Frost & Sullivan. "The North American remanufactured brakes aftermarket and its participants currently face several hurdles because brakes not only require immediate replacement but can also cause irreversible, extensive damage to trucks and increase the risk of accidents.
"A major concern for the participants of remanufactured brakes has been imports from low-cost countries. However, due to the high cost of testing and product development on the manufacturer side, low-cost countries typically feature compromises in design and product life. Second, price is the most important competitive factor in this market, and it complicates suppliers' efforts to improve their products and develop unique advantages."
The award was announced at the industry's largest event, Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week in Las Vegas.
"We are extremely proud of this recognition for our breakthrough product, but more than that, we're so grateful that we could respond to our customers with a product that works and addresses a long-standing problem in brake shoes – rustjacking," said Terry Livingston, general manager, Global Product Management and Shared Services, Aftermarket & Trailer, Meritor.
According to Frost & Sullivan, "Meritor stands out from the crowd for its leading position in providing innovative braking solutions for original equipment manufacturers of trucks. Leveraging its global production base and supply chain, Meritor has established itself as a leader in brake (shoe) (re)manufacturing."
More than 15 million Meritor remanufactured brake shoes have been sold to North American truck operators since it introduced them in the spring of 2009.
"This Product Quality Award represents the company's capability and excellence in the remanufactured brake segment," Damani said.
Meritor is a leading supplier of remanufactured components – including brake shoes, transmissions, steering gears, drivelines and axle differentials – to North American and global truck and trailer manufacturers and truck operators.
Frost & Sullivan's Product Quality Leadership Award recognizes companies in a variety of markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance. The award is based on five criteria:
- Product performance – Frost & Sullivan's independent analysis reveals that as a premier provider of remanufactured brakes for the heavy-duty market, Meritor has been especially successful due to its emphasis on continuously improving product quality. "For example, the PlatinumShield technology in Meritor's brake products extends the brake shoe life by arresting rust-jacking."
- Product reliability – The company has an extensive brake product line that meets customer durability expectations with proven reliability for trucks, coupled with its vast industry expertise, "thus giving the company a major competitive edge." The company also offers the same warranty it offers for new products, one year and unlimited miles, and for brake shoes specifically, the warranty against rustjacking is three years/300,000 miles.
- Product design – Meritor has demonstrated its ability to understand its customers' requirements and offer the best solutions," offering a product design that allows end users to ensure safety for their trucks. Meritor is driven by safety."
- Product usability – The key in the remanufacturing of brakes lies in effectively managing cores. "Meritor has successfully demonstrated that it has a quality core management practice, which helps it to procure and integrate cores in the remanufactured aftermarket brake systems." These remanufactured brakes are then rigorously evaluated using the same criteria as for new brakes, employing state-of-the-art testing equipment in its in-house laboratory.
- Perceived value – Meritor's products have a reputation for best-in-class reliability and performance. Frost & Sullivan research reveals this has further cemented customers' perceptions of the "true value the company places on product quality...Meritor's quality performance is achieved by enhancing the value proposition for its customers."
Meritor's global remanufacturing operations include eight sites in five countries producing a substantial portfolio of drivetrain and wheel-end components. More than 30,000 tons of metal are recycled annually in Meritor's remanufacturing operations worldwide, and the company recycles 90 percent of all waste from its operations. More than 40,000 tons of cores, or original components, are processed at Meritor remanufacturing facilities annually.
The Product Quality Leadership Award is a prestigious recognition of Meritor's accomplishments in the Remanufactured Brakes Aftermarket. An unbiased, third-party recognition provides a significant impact in enhancing the brand value and accelerating Meritor's growth. According to Frost & Sullivan, it desires to inspire, influence and impact three constituencies: investors, customers and employees.
