Kennametal Receives Supplier Award and Contract From Renault

Kennametal, Inc. (Latrobe, PA) has received the prestigious Optima Award from its customer Renault and a contract to supply metalcutting tooling and technology to a new engine plant the French automaker is building in Brazil. Kennametal is the only supplier of metalcutting tooling to receive this award and one of only 10 companies to be honored out of 12,000 Renault suppliers worldwide.

The new Renault facility is located in Curitiba, south of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The plant will use Kennametal tooling and machining technology to manufacture automobile engines.

"We are extremely honored to receive this prestigious award from our customer Renault," said Kennametal president and CEO Markos I. Tambakeras, "and very proud to be the supplier of cutting tools for Renault's new engine plant in Brazil. Winning the Renault contract and the Optima Award is clear evidence that Kennametal has the confidence, reputation, skills and supply chain necessary to achieve its ambition to be the premier tooling solutions supplier in the world."

The multi-year contract awarded to Kennametal is the result of a cooperative effort by a global Kennametal team, including employees in Europe, Brazil, and the United States.

Kennametal has a 15-year relationship with Renault, but the new agreement raises the relationship to a new level and introduces the potential for future global business with Renault.

Kennametal Inc., P.O. Box 346, Latrobe, PA, 15650. Phone (800) 446-7738.