AST Bearings, an international supplier of bearing products and services, has earned recognition as a Partner-level supplier for 2012 in the John DeereR Achieving Excellence Program. The Partner-Level status is Deere & Company's highest supplier rating. The Montville, New Jersey-based company was selected for this award in recognition of its dedication to providing products and service of outstanding quality as well as its commitment to continuous improvement. AST Bearings earned their distinction as a supplier of bearings to the Construction & Forestry division of John Deere operating in Davenport, Iowa.

"AST has always had a commitment to quality and our goal is to provide all of our customers 'Value Beyond the Part.' In this regard, the award we received from Deere demonstrates how each and every one of us at AST Bearings is committed to delivering quality products with outstanding reliability along with the very best service and support," said Dan Fox, vice president of sales and marketing. "This is a core value for AST and we continue to improve the ways in which we partner with our customers to develop measurable solutions in an efficient and cost-effective way."

Suppliers who participate in John Deere's Achieving Excellence program are evaluated annually in several key performance categories including: quality, cost management, delivery, technical support, and wavelength (a measure of responsiveness). John Deere Supply Management created the program 22 years ago in 1991 to provide a supplier evaluation and feedback process that promotes continuous improvement.