Rofin named among Intel's top suppliers in 2011

Rofin Baasel is one of fewer than two dozen companies worldwide to receive Intel's supplier quality award in 2011, highlighted for a fifth consecutive year for its laser marking equipment.

"Rofin demonstrated excellent customer support and a commitment to providing the technology required to meet Intel's evolving mark needs while continually improving equipment delivery lead time," according to Carolin Seward, director assembly test capital equipment development at Intel, in a statement.

Fewer than two dozen companies annually earn Intel's annual supplier recognition, among thousands of suppliers and a vast array of complex manufacturing equipment and materials. In 2011, 19 companies received Intel's annual "Preferred Quality Supplier" (PQS) awards, achieving 80 percent or better on a scorecard tracking areas including cost, quality, availability, delivery, technology and environmental, social and governance goals, and achieving at least 80 percent on a challenging improvement plan and demonstrating solid quality and business systems. (A small handful of suppliers earn Intel's even stricter "Supplier Continuous Quality Improvement" [SCQI] award by scoring 95 percent or better in such areas.)

Jaclyn A. Sturm, VP of Intel's technology and manufacturing group and GM of its global sourcing and procurement, noted that Intel's 2011 supplier awards came in "a year that tested all aspects of the supply chain from core challenges of business continuity and affordability to the need for continuous innovation, velocity improvements and growing expectations of sustainability." Yet while 2011 was generally a sour year for most industries, it was actually a record year for industrial lasers -- sales of laser marking/engraving systems alone rose 27 percent from 2010 to $332 million.

(Photo source: Intel)