The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) has been recognised as Supplier of the Year in the International (Technology) category by The Boeing Company.

The AMRC was one of 16 companies honoured last night for distinguished performance in working with Boeing.

In January, the AMRC was notified that it was one of 558 companies to receive the Boeing Performance Excellence Award. Achieving the Supplier of the Year designation further acknowledges superior performance and labels this class of winners as best of the best. The awards were presented at a black tie event at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle, Washington, on May 18.

"We view our suppliers as an extension of our production facilities," said Stan Deal, vice president and general manager of Supplier Management for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "They bring to us a combination of quality, capability, capacity and technology that enables us to meet and exceed the expectations of our customers."

This year's winners represent an elite group among more than 17,525 active Boeing suppliers in nearly 52 countries around the world. This selection was based on stringent performance criteria for quality, delivery performance, cost, environmental initiatives, customer service and technical expertise.

The University of Sheffield AMRC works with companies to resolve manufacturing problems and increase competitiveness. The centre's core focus is on developing new technologies and processes for machining high-performance metal alloys used in aerospace and other industries.

The AMRC's research programme is determined by a board of member companies, ensuring that its work is focused on the needs of industry. Other research groups within the AMRC focus on measurement-assisted assembly; the production and machining of carbon fibre composite materials; and advanced structural testing.

Professor Keith Ridgway OBE, founder and research director of the AMRC, said: "This is a great honour for us, and a tribute to the hard work and talent of our team in South Yorkshire. In the ten years since we launched the AMRC with the support of Boeing, we have become internationally recognised as a centre of excellence for manufacturing research. This award is further evidence that Britain can still lead the world in innovative engineering."

The AMRC is the first UK-based recipient of Boeing Supplier of the Year since the company-wide awards began in 2001.

For more information on the Boeing Supplier of the Year award, including a complete list of award recipients, visit http://boeing.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43