GM, Ford require suppliers to be ISO 14001 certified
By Industrial Distribution Staff -- Industrial Distribution, 11/1/1999
DETROIT--Most distributors won't be affected by GM and Ford's requirement that their tier-one suppliers adopt more environmentally friendly practices within the next four years.The world's top two automakers announced they want suppliers to meet the international ISO 14001 standard, under which auditors evaluate processes to measure energy use, waste disposal, water treatment, air pollution and recycling.
Ford Motor Co., which received ISO 14001 certification for its 140 plants in 1998, expects 5,000 suppliers with manufacturing facilities to have at least one site certified by the end of 2001. All OEMs and other manufacturers shipping to Ford must conform by July of 2003.
General Motors set an even more aggressive deadline of the end of 2002 for its 5,000 direct material suppliers. GM's own facilities must be certified by the end of 2001.
Ford and GM officials say they have no plans to extend the requirements to distributors, unless they have manufacturing or fabrication operations. In the case of second-tier Ford suppliers, the requirements would apply if those firms manufacture products as a primary supplier to Ford in another contract.
"If you're only a second tier supplier you're not bound to do this," says Ford spokesman Ron Iori.
Gerry Fowler, director of supplier development at GM, says the company is taking a leadership role by mandating that its own manufacturing sites be ISO 14001 certified by a third party one year ahead of its suppliers.
GM has not ruled out eventually requiring all of its second-tier suppliers to meet the standard, although it is unlikely that distributors with warehouse operations would be affected.
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