On 19 March 2010, PSA Peugeot Citroen held its suppliers' day in Poissy, France. This event brought together the group's 300 leading suppliers, representing around 90 per cent of the total group supplies. As one of the only 14 awarded suppliers in five areas (quality, innovation, replacement parts, economical performance and sustainable development), NSK was honoured and received a prestigious award from PSA, rewarding outstanding performance in quality.
Jean-Christophe Quemard, PSA Executive Vice President and Purchasing Manager, commented on NSK's achievement during the ceremony: "A production quality award also goes to our Japanese supplier NSK, which has been supplying bearings since 2003. Its quality record is exceptional since its first part supplied: less than one PPM for six consecutive years. Whether in development or production, NSK performance is remarkable and recognised as a technical benchmark. Congratulations."
This award is the result of the strong relationship developed along the years with PSA, together with NSK's continuous efforts in achieving the high quality standards set by the car manufacturer. In this particular instance, NSK performance in quality can largely be attributed to the close co-ordination with the manufacturing locations in Peterlee, England, for wheel hub units, and Saitama, Japan, for tapered roller bearings for transmission applications.
NSK's European Automotive Business Unit (EABU) started working with PSA in 1998. The first major project followed in 2000, and mass production deliveries started in 2003. Currently, NSK supplies bearings for chassis and drive trains for various PSA cars, as well as light commercial vehicles, and is also involved in the development of future vehicles.