Sundram Fast Begins Shipping Plates To Gm

Sundram Fasteners Ltd (SFL) has started supply of pressure plates (powder metal parts) to the auto major General Motors of the US.

Manufactured in its Hosur plant, the pressure plates are used in the crankshafts of the automobile engine. During 1996-97, the company exported around Rs 80 lakh worth of pressure plates to GM. Our company will meet 100 per cent of its requirements, stated Suresh Krishna, chairman, SFL.

For SFL, this is the second major breakthrough after it bagged the contract for supplying radiator caps four years ago. Incidentally, the company won the Supplier of the year 1996 award from GM, of the US.

 

Servicing the needs of 23 GM plants twice every week, the company has met with success on three important fronts -quality, service and price. It has attained the zero defect target, just-in-time deliveries and price competitiveness.

According to Krishna, this achievement will give SFL easier access to other auto giants like Ford and Chrysler.

Meanwhile, GM has deputed a senior vice-president as an ambassador to SFL. Based in Detroit, he will help promote SFL among other worldwide purchasing departments to procure more orders. Through him, we hope to get an entry into the European markets too, said a senior company official.

On the domestic front too the company has made great headway. It has completed all formalities with Maruti Udyog Ltd. for meeting 100 per cent of its requirements of radiator caps which is estimated at 3,50,000 units. We will be sending our samples shortly, said Krishna.

SFL has also bagged the order for supply of plastic radiator caps to Mahindra Ford for both its units in Nasik and Chennai.

The companys exports for the 1996-97 touched Rs 45 crore of which radiator caps exports to GM were Rs 16-17 crore. During the current year, our exports should be around Rs 55 crore, added Krishna.