Tenneco was recognized with an Excellence Award in Supplier Diversity for its Clean Air Division from Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Inc. (TEMA) at its Annual Supplier Business Meeting (ABM) on March 10. Held at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington, ABM brings together approximately 1,000 supplier representatives from across North America.

“We’re very honored to receive this award from Toyota as it demonstrates our commitment to supplier diversity,” said Josep Fornos, executive vice president, Tenneco Clean Air. “During 2014, Tenneco exceeded Toyota’s MBE (Minority Business Enterprise) and WBE (Women Business Enterprise) goals. Our diverse supplier base is a competitive advantage for Tenneco, and strengthens our ability to deliver advanced, innovative clean air products and technologies for Toyota’s cars and trucks.

Currently celebrating 19 years, ABM allows TEMA to discuss business objectives with direct and indirect suppliers in preparation for its upcoming fiscal year. Each year, TEMA recognizes suppliers who exceeded the company’s expectations in several categories.

“Toyota works in collaboration with each of our supplier partners to produce vehicles that meet our customers’ expectations for quality, safety, and reliability,” said Robert Young, TEMA’s purchasing vice president. “We are pleased to recognize those suppliers that exceed our performance and collaboration targets. This event highlights our suppliers’ dedication to continuous improvement and long-term partnerships to build ‘always better cars’ in North America.”