Timken has been honored with the first-ever Delphi Pinnacle Award for Supplier Excellence.

Delphi launched the award program with a ceremony recognizing its global suppliers who have achieved the highest levels of performance in quality, delivery, service and competitive cost expectations. Timken was one of only 77 suppliers from 15 countries honored with the Pinnacle Award.

Delphi chose Timken's plant in Walhalla, S.C., as an award winner primarily because the plant demonstrates proactive lean manufacturing initiatives, technological advancements and superior management performance, all while helping Delphi drive costs down.

"Our culture at Delphi promotes excellence across our business and seeks to recognize excellence at every level," said Dave Nelson, Vice President of Global Supply Management for Delphi. "We are moving toward strategic supplier relationships in our lean journey, concentrating more work into the hands of suppliers who have demonstrated their ability to produce top-notch quality and delivery. By working together with a single purpose, we improve our odds and are stronger as a team than as separate companies," he added.

Timken’s Walhalla, S.C., plant is known as a center for quality and excellence in ball bearing, thrust race and thrust bearing manufacturing in the automotive market. "Our goal is to improve our customers' performance. It is an honor to be recognized by Delphi for doing just that," said Plant Manager, Jim McCoy.

The Timken Co. provides innovative ways to make products run smoother, faster and more efficiently. Products include highly engineered bearings, alloy steels and related products and services. Timken has operations in 27 countries, sales of $4.5 billion in 2004 and 26,000 employees.