Kickstart: A fresh start for suppliers?

Call me a cynic, but I find it hard to believe a company that has consistently ranked low in supplier relations says it has turned a corner and things will change.

Our sister paper Automotive News talked with the head of global purchasing for Stellantis, the company that oversees Chrysler, Jeep, Fiat and other brands. Marlo Vitous said the company has been working hard to improve its supplier relations numbers and sees how important it is to get on suppliers' good side.

"I don't underestimate that being in last place is not good," Vitous told AN, acknowledging the automaker's status in 2024 in Plante Moran's annual automaker-supplier Working Relations Index Study. Stellantis did show some improvement in the 2024 index, Vitous noted.

Strong supplier relations numbers can help carmakers get the first shot at new technology or manufacturing improvements that speed production or cut costs. In 2024, Stellantis received a score of 152, placing it at the bottom. Top-ranked Toyota had a score of 368.

Helmets have been part of standard safety equipment for the military, motor sports and recreational activities such as cycling for decades. Downhill skiers and snowboarders have also made helmets standard practice during the past 10 to 20 years.

Now helmets are making their way into the water with surfers adopting ABS helmets specially designed to withstand churning waves and water while protecting their skulls.

Oakley, a company that already dominates other sports, began production of a new helmet specifically designed for surfers in late 2024. Prototypes of the helmets were even available for Olympic surfers in Tahiti during the summer.

"Its unique shell design prevents disorientation and drag in the water, and with open ventilation, surfers can easily maneuver through and under water even while duck diving, allowing for immediate drainage upon reaching the surface," Oakley officials said in a news release. The WTR Icon has adjustable and removable ear protection, engineered to maintain hearing, prevent cuts and protect against eardrum blowouts.

German materials giant BASF SE is continuing to pare down its operations as it looks to restructure for the future with a greater emphasis on core chemical operations.

On Feb. 17, it announced plans to sell its Suvinil-brand paint operations in Brazil to Sherwin-Williams, based in the U.S., for $1.15 billion.

Suvinil operates almost exclusively in Brazil and has limited synergies with other coatings businesses within BASF, the company said in a news release. BASF said it expects to "approach the market" with the goal of selling the rest of its coatings business in the second quarter of 2025.

Earlier this year, it sold its Styrodur extruded polystyrene building insulation program to Karl Bachl Kunststoffverarbeitung GmbH & Co. KG.

Corporate leaders with BASF in Ludwigshafen, Germany, said in September 2024 that they were looking for ways to cut costs and trim operations in the face of rising business costs in Europe.

The goal is to bring BASF, the world's largest producer of chemicals, back to healthy profitability, CEO Markus Kamieth said in September 2024.