CANTON, Ohio, March 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Timken was recently awarded Vendor of the Year for Product Excellence by Parts Plus at its national convention in New Orleans. Timken provides a full line of automotive hub assemblies, bearings and seals to the North American aftermarket through the Parts Plus distributor network.
"Timken continues to work in partnership with Parts Plus, bringing real value to the distributor network. The partnership has yielded significant growth opportunities for both organizations while providing customers with Timken(R) bearings, seals, hub assemblies and rebuild kits," said Jack A. Cameron, general manager - automotive aftermarket - North & South America. "Timken's presence in the automotive aftermarket is growing at a fast pace because our full line of products meet our customers' need to work with a value-added supplier."
In addition to being awarded Vendor of the Year for Product Excellence, Timken also was recognized by Parts Plus as one of the top three vendors for marketing. Last year, Timken was honored by Parts Plus as Vendor of the Year for Outstanding Logistics.
"This year's award is particularly gratifying because the winner was determined by popular vote among the Parts Plus membership," said Mr. Cameron. "It is a testament to the exceptional effort put forth by Timken associates. In addition, it reinforces our ongoing commitment to enhance Part Plus' performance through our total solutions approach to friction management - technology, manufacturing, products, service and support - to deliver unparalleled value and innovation.
"Automotive aftermarket distribution has undergone tremendous change in the last several years. Timken and Parts Plus are industry leaders, well positioned to meet and exceed customer demands."
Parts Plus ( http://www.partsplus.com ), a co-partner of Automotive Distribution Network (ADN) with Independent Auto Parts of America (IAPA), is one of the largest automotive-aftermarket program groups in the industry, with 37 independently owned distribution companies servicing more than 2,500 Parts Plus Autostores and Car Care Centers throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The Timken Company (NYSE: TKR, www.timken.com) is a leading global manufacturer of highly engineered bearings and alloy steels and a provider of related products and services with operations in 27 countries. The company reported record sales of $4.5 billion in 2004 and employed approximately 26,000 at year-end.
Media Contact: Eric J. Shirley, Communications Manager, (330) 471-7105
Investor Contact: Kevin R. Beck, Manager - Investor Relations,
(330) 471-7181
SOURCE The Timken Company