CEVA Logistics, a world leader in third-party logistics, has received GM’s Overdrive Award as part of General Motors’ 29th annual Supplier of the Year awards for delivering responsive logistics solutions to the leading automotive manufacturer during the 2020 global coronavirus pandemic.

CEVA was one of only 26 companies to be selected as an Overdrive winner for 2020. Winners were chosen based on performance criteria in Product Purchasing, Global Purchasing and Manufacturing Services, Customer Care and Aftersales, and Logistics.

Responsive logistics during unprecedented times

CEVA Logistics supported GM manufacturing activities as the COVID-19 coronavirus spread across the globe, affecting suppliers from Asia to North America beginning in early 2020. The CEVA team’s dedicated support and pro-active solutions secured critical capacity through a multi-modal strategy to minimize supply chain disruption amid the global pandemic. The team also delivered supply planning, component coordination and freight management execution.

In addition, CEVA Logistics was appointed by GM in April 2020 to manage its entire ventilator production supply chain in support of the U.S. response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under GM’s contract with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, CEVA Logistics was responsible for delivering hundreds of parts to the GM Kokomo, Indiana, facility. CEVA set up the entire supply chain, encompassing Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 suppliers, in one week, a process that could normally take two months.

Overdrive award shows customer-driven focus

First presented in 2012, GM’s Overdrive Award is a distinction reserved for suppliers who display outstanding achievement within GM’s Global Purchasing and Supply Chain organization’s key focus areas, including sustainable value streams, total enterprise cost and profitability, safety, launch excellence, accelerating innovation and nurturing relationships.

The 2020 Supplier of the Year and Overdrive Award winners were selected by a global team of GM purchasing, engineering, quality, manufacturing and logistics leaders. Awards were given to 122 suppliers representing 16 countries, with more than a dozen first-time winners.

Says Mathieu Friedberg, chief executive officer, CEVA Logistics: “Our customers truly do come first, and that fact does not change when market conditions change. 2020 was an unprecedented year for the supply chain industry, and at CEVA Logistics, it gave us an opportunity to support our customers like never before. This award is a clear testament to the dedication of our CEVA employees. Our commitment to responsive logistics means that we are attentive to our customers’ needs, anticipating trends and developing solutions to help them succeed—no matter what the challenge is that they are facing.”

Says Shilpan Amin, GM vice president, global purchasing and supply chain: “As GM works to achieve a future with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion, we are proud to have innovative and dedicated suppliers around the world as partners in this mission. Throughout a challenging year, our suppliers have showed resilience and dedication in working toward our shared goal of long-term sustainability for our planet and the communities we serve, while meeting our present needs. We are pleased with what we’ve accomplished together in the past year and we are excited by the opportunity that lies ahead.”