Pictured (left to right): TRW vice president of global purchasing Jerome Dorlack, Waupaca Foundry vice president of sales and marketing Kris Pfaehler, Waupaca Foundry director of light vehicle sales Richard Scherkenbach, TRW global director of castings purchasing Clive Spackman

Waupaca Foundry and TRW are in the process of measuring and verifying the sustainability of their supply chain in a ground-breaking project. The two automotive suppliers are doing a deep dive into the supply chain for brake rotors—to include tracing the product literally back to the source from which the raw materials originate. Waupaca Foundry and TRW supply brake rotors for a mutual customer, Chrysler. Throughout the process, both firms have learned more about the complexity of sourcing materials and verifying if the suppliers are environmentally sustainable. The goal: to verify that a supply chain is sustainable, reliable and able to meet customer demand.

• The study collects and analyzes data from supply chain partners to better understand collective corporate responsibility levels and sources of risk along the supply chain.
• Waupaca Foundry has done similar analysis with its own suppliers, but this is the first time the process has been used in partnership with its customer, Chrysler and TRW.
• The teams have learned that if end users are to exert influence on suppliers, there must be a collaboration beyond the first tier of suppliers.
• Suppliers for the brake rotors involved a range of companies including scrap steel and melt additive providers.

In recognition of the significance of the project, TRW awarded Waupaca Foundry it’s Partner In Sustainability award for 2014.