Rapidparts Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America Inc. (MCFA), has named Trelleborg Wheel Systems in the Americas its 2018 Vendor of the Year.

It marks the second straight year Trelleborg has won the honor from Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Rapidparts, which supplies Cat lift trucks, Mitsubishi forklift trucks and Jungheinrich dealers and customers with forklift replacement parts. The companies have had a partnership for more than 30 years.

Trelleborg provides several tire programs for Rapidparts, including the drop-ship tire program that provides dealers with MCFA tires on pallets directly to dealerships. The third-party service program aligns the MCFA dealer with a local Trelleborg tire installer who will stock their tire needs and send a tire press to customers’ locations for installation.

Jared Steier, sales director, OE/OEA for Trelleborg’s tires and wheel solutions, called it “an honor” to win the award again. “This award belongs to everyone at Trelleborg Wheel Systems in the Americas. It’s the focus, energy, and dedication of our people that has made this happen,” he said.

Michael Toering, marketing manager at Rapidparts, said Trelleborg won the award for, among other attributes, helping MCFA and Rapidparts grow in the target markets of Mexico, Canada and Central/South America. “Our individual sales teams are working in geographic territories together, providing a unified front,” Mr. Toering said. “This cooperation is helping both companies win more deals and grow overall tire market share.”

He said Trelleborg helps Rapidparts “cover the entire spectrum of opportunity by supporting the MCFA production line, backing up our independent dealers who generate significant revenue in forklift tires, to more recently providing third-party pressing alternatives to our dealers and customers.”