Crowley Recognized by Ford for Multiple Outstanding Customer Service

(JACKSONVILLE, Fla., 2001)—Crowley Maritime Corporation’s logistics group has won Ford Motor Company’s Silver Award four times for supplier excellence in the non-productive supplier category for the service Crowley provided Ford in Venezuela. Crowley was the only logistics provider among 100 awardees in Venezuela to be recognized with the award.  Additionally, Crowley achieved Ford Q1 status in 1998, and was among nearly 50 suppliers from seven countries presented the World Excellence Award in 1998 and 1999.

According to Marco Morales, Purchasing Manager for Ford Venezuela, Crowley was nominated for the Silver award because of the outstanding Colombia Lead Logistics Provider (LLP) service and trucking operations it provided Ford Venezuela during the year 2000. Crowley continues to provide these services to Ford on an ongoing basis. Ford’s criteria for the Silver Award included operating with less than a 20 percent internal customer claim rate, providing on-time service and delivery of materials and exhibiting a commitment to providing quality service.

Crowley manages a wide array of logistics services for Ford in Venezuela ranging from freight forwarding in the U.S. to the transport of inbound and outbound container loads, and transport & customs brokerage for all material coming from Colombia to Ford’s plant in Valencia, Venezuela and to its plant in Bogota, Colombia.

“We recognize the hard work put forth by Crowley and commend the company on its efforts to make the Colombia LLP project happen,” said Morales. “Crowley is the kind of supplier Ford wants to do business with.”

Before the Silver Award, Crowley received the Recognition of Achievement World Excellence Award twice—first in 1998 and again in 1999—for being one of Ford’s top suppliers in the world.  The 1999 World Excellence Achievement Award is a prestigious annual award honoring Ford production suppliers who have met and exceeded rigorous standards for performance in cost, quality and delivery as measured by the Supplier Improvement Metrics (SIM); commodity-specific metrics are used for non-production suppliers.

Ford recognized Crowley for “efforts during a natural disaster”—specifically for protecting Ford’s vehicles in Puerto Rico during Hurricane Georges and then resuming normal shipments to dealers almost immediately thereafter.

“Receiving recognition from some of the most respected companies in the world is a tremendous honor for Crowley,” said Tom Crowley Jr., Chairman, President and CEO of Crowley Maritime Corporation. “Our company and our employees work every day in concert with Ford and our many other valued customers to ensure that we provide them with the most dependable, quality service possible. We are pleased that these partnership have helped our business partners to achieve success in their respective industries.”

Finally, Crowley also achieved Ford’s prestigious Q1 status for quality service in 1998.

“We have a long-standing commitment to providing quality service for Ford, and all of our customers,” said Crowley’s John Hourihan, Senior Vice President and General Manager. “We are honored to have received the Silver Awards, and are also proud to have been granted Ford Q1 status in 1998, and to have been among nearly 50 suppliers from seven countries presented the World Excellence Award in 1998 and 1999.”

Jacksonville-based Crowley Maritime Corporation, founded in San Francisco in 1892, is a privately held family and employee-owned company that provides diversified transportation and logistics services in domestic and international markets by means of six operating lines of business: Puerto Rico/Caribbean Liner Services, Latin America Liner Services, Logistics Services, Petroleum Services, Marine Services and Technical Services. Offered within these operating lines of business are the following services: liner container shipping, logistics, contract towing and transportation; ship assist and escort; energy support; salvage and emergency response; vessel management; vessel construction and naval architecture; government services, and petroleum and chemical transportation, distribution and sales. Additional information about Crowley its subsidiaries and business units may be found on the Internet at www.crowley.com.

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