"Asymtek is proud to have met the high standards associated with this award," says Robert L. Ciardella, president of Asymtek. "The investment in our quality systems have strengthened our entire organization as well as benefited our customers."

Henkel Loctite Corp. (Industry, CA) also received Intel's PQS award. The company supplies Intel with die attach adhesives and underfill materials. "Intel continually sets and then raises the standards of quality expectation and excellence that motivates and drives our continuous quality improvement aspirations," says Patrick Trippel, president of Henkel Loctite. "We work diligently to be rewarded with Intel's business, but in addition to revenue, another key benefit derived from this close association is the evolution of becoming a more valued supplier to our entire customer base."

Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Kester Div. (Des Plaines, IL) received Intel's 2002 Supplier Continuous Quality Improvement (SCQI) award for a fourth consecutive year. Kester was cited for its efforts in supplying Intel with interconnect and thermal interface materials.

"As a global supplier to the electronics industry, Kester experiences various levels of customer and supplier relationships, and our relationship with Intel has been mutually beneficial. We are truly honored to receive this prestigious SCQI award for the fourth consecutive year, and look forward to continuing our relationship with Intel," says Roger Savage, Kester president.

The PQS and SCQI awards are part of Intel's SCQI process that encourages suppliers to strive for excellence and continuous improvement. To qualify for PQS status, suppliers must score 80 percent on a report card that assesses performance and ability to meet cost, quality, availability, delivery, technology and responsiveness goals. To qualify for SCQI status, suppliers must score at least 95 percent on the report card.