For Immediate Release

DONNELLY CUSTOM MANUFACTURING RECEIVES FARGO SUPPLIER EXCELLENCE AWARD FOR THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR

ALEXANDRIA, Minn. –Fargo Electronics has awarded Donnelly Custom Manufacturing its 2005 Supplier Excellence Award, marking the third consecutive year Donnelly has received the honor. The award recognizes Donnelly’s contribution to Fargo’s Quality Management System and is part of its Supplier Quality Program.

Fargo Electronics is the world’s leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of personalized ID card systems and printers.

“We are delighted to be recognized by Fargo for our performance. Our goal is to exceed all of our customers’ expectations,” said Ron Kirscht, president of Donnelly Custom Manufacturing. “Fargo holds its suppliers to very stringent standards relative to quality, service and delivery, and the entire Donnelly team has worked hard to earn this recognition.”

Fargo considers several factors in identifying award recipients including the ability to manufacture extremely high quality parts, on-time delivery and customer responsiveness.

“Fargo’s customers are demanding quicker turn-around times. As a result, we need extremely responsive supplier partners,” said Tom Rowley, vice president of manufacturing for Fargo. “In Donnelly’s case, they manufacture the printer covers for our card systems. These are highly cosmetic parts that create Fargo’s first impressions with its customers. So it’s extremely important that Donnelly meet our on-time delivery requirements while making sure that each manufactured part is of the highest quality.”

Jim McCarthy, vice president of Donnelly Custom Manufacturing, said Donnelly is able to deliver for Fargo because of the two company’s compatible cultures. “Fargo is the perfect customer for Donnelly. They demand the best from, and empower our team to deliver high quality parts, fast,” said McCarthy. “They rely on our engineering team to help them design and build better parts. Their cosmetic requirements are as stringent as anything else we manufacture, and their kanban system places inventory management clearly on our shoulders. There’s tremendous satisfaction in accepting a challenge and doing well with it.”

In addition, Rowley also credits Donnelly with helping Fargo minimize its inventory investment without missing a beat as it relates to customer delivery.

“In the end, however, I think their single greatest attribute is their commitment to helping Fargo succeed. Donnelly strives to be a partner in the true sense of the word,” Rowley said.

Based in Alexandria, Minn., Donnelly’s 230 employees are dedicated to setting the standards in the custom injection-molding marketplace for “How Short Run Is Done.” The company’s focus is on providing its OEM customers with value added engineering, and highly customized manufacturing and customer support services.  A strong customer service orientation ensures outstanding customer satisfaction.
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