BRUSSELS, BELGIUM/STUTTGART, GERMANY, 8 JULY 2005 – WABCO was awarded "The Best Brand in Brakes" at the annual "Best Commercial Vehicles" awards ceremony hosted June 29 in Stuttgart, Germany, by publishing house EuroTransportMedia (ETM) and DEKRA, a technical services specialist.
"Best Brand" awards were included for the first time as part of the ETM/DEKRA annual readers' choice survey. The survey attracted 10,000 readers of FERNFAHRER, lastauto Omnibus and trans aktuell, all commercial vehicle trade publications directed at German industry decision-makers, experts and vehicle operators. In addition to voting on the best truck models, readers this year voted on the best brands in 14 component categories; WABCO was among four manufacturers included in the brakes category.
"To be named the best brand in this inaugural survey is an honor for WABCO," said Jacques Esculier, WABCO president. "Especially as it reflects the voice of truck, trailer and bus customers and industry colleagues, all of whom have an in-depth knowledge of today's braking technologies. The award reflects the dedication of WABCO colleagues worldwide who talk to customers every day about braking performance requirements, and then respond to their needs with innovations such as our new generations of air disc brake and EBS, and ABS system stability control features for the US market. This award will also motivate us to continue our pioneering work in markets like China and India where new regulations introducing ABS regulations will improve national road safety and vehicle performance."
Harald Kaess, WABCO vice president of OE Sales, accepted the award on behalf of WABCO.
WABCO's tradition of pioneering new braking products includes milestones such as the antilock brake system (ABS - 1981) for commercial vehicles and the electronic brake system (EBS - 1996), and the recently launched new generation of air disc brakes. Depending on the number of axles, the new generation air disc brakes can reduce total vehicle weight by more than 110 lbs (50 kg) compared to the earlier, proven PAN series models. In addition, optimized pad surfaces ensure reduced wear, and therefore lower service costs.
Pictures:
Harald Kaess, (center), vice president of OE Sales, accepted the award on behalf of WABCO. To the left: Werner Faas, director of advertising, ETM Publishing. To the right: Jörg Mannsperger, CEO, ETM Publishing.
Editors Notes
WABCO, the vehicle control systems business of American Standard Companies, is one of the world's leading producers of electronic braking, stability, suspension and transmission control systems for heavy duty commercial vehicles. WABCO products are also increasingly used in luxury cars and sport utility vehicles (SUVs). Customers include the world's leading commercial truck, trailer, bus and passenger car manufacturers. Founded in the US 136 years ago as Westinghouse Air Brake Company, WABCO was acquired by American Standard in 1968. Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, the business today employs nearly 6700 people in 30 office and production facilities worldwide. In 2004, WABCO contributed US$1.72 billion to American Standard's total sales of more than US$9.50 billion. Website: www.wabco-auto.com
Media contact:
Georg Lahme, +49-69-719168-13, georg.lahme@klenkhoursch.de |
