Stainless Steel Awards 2008

Winner - Service Category

Tenneco
Service : Manufacture of catalytic convertors to the global industry for the past 15 years

Gillet Exhaust Technology, trading as Tenneco, wins the Best Stainless Steel Service Award at this year’s event.

The Port Elizabeth based manufacturer of catalytic converters and exhaust systems, has demonstrated increasing growth since it was founded in 1993. Its continuous pursuit of customer satisfaction and determination to deliver high quality products has been recognised and celebrated by the stainless steel industry.

Gillet is affiliated with global automotive parts manufacturer Tenneco. This gives it an advantage in the market place. “We are able to correspond with our sister companies and we have world-class technology at our disposal,” says Colin Schroder, the head of business development and the supply chain manager of Gillet Exhaust Technology. “This helps us meet and predict our customer’s needs.” Catalytic converters convert harmful substances into less harmful gases before they leave a vehicle’s exhaust system. Stainless steel is essential to Gillet’s manufacturing process. Ferritic and austenitic stainless steel is used to manufacture the catalytic converters. “Stainless steel outperforms all other possible substitutes,” says Schroder.

The company has been able to increase its production from 300 000 catalytic converters a year in 1993, to a forecasted 4 million converters a year by 2012.

Ninety-seven percent of the company’s products go to North America and eastern Europe, 2 percent go to Australia and the remaining 1 percent is absorbed into the local market. 

The company has an enviable customer list, which includes Mercedes Benz, Volkswagen, Ford and General Motors.

The numerous awards and nominations the company has collected since its inception, confirm Gillet’s consistently
excellent customer service. Among other awards, Volkswagen, Ford and General Motors named the company as Supplier of the Year in 2001, 2003 and 2005 respectively. 

Gillet is a previous winner of the Stainless Steel Awards. In 2000, the company won the Manufacturing Innovation Award. “Even though this is not the first time we have been nominated, we are very excited and honoured, especially to be nominated in another category,” says Schroder.

Gillet Exhaust Technology has proved to be a mainstay in the automotive parts industry. After fifteen years in the industry, they show no sign of complacency. “We provide a pertinent service and we do it well,” says Schroder. “This nomination proves that we are still a force to be reckoned with.”