Maxion Wheels Recognizes 2025 Supplier of the Year and Green Wheel Award Winners
As part of our commitment to responsible business practices, operational excellence, and environmental stewardship, Maxion Wheels continues to strengthen a resilient and sustainable global supply chain. In an increasingly complex business environment, collaboration with suppliers who share our values is essential to delivering long-term value for our customers, communities, and stakeholders.
To support these objectives, we maintain high expectations for supplier performance across key areas including quality, delivery, sustainability, innovation, and ethical business conduct. Through ongoing evaluation and engagement, we work closely with our suppliers to drive continuous improvement and mutual success.
Today, we are proud to recognize the recipients of the 2025 Maxion Wheels Supplier Awards, honoring exceptional partners whose contributions have helped advance our business and strengthen our supply chain across our global operations.
We are also pleased to present the Green Wheel Award, recognizing a supplier that has demonstrated outstanding leadership and commitment in supporting our sustainability goals and helping drive positive environmental impact throughout the value chain.
At Maxion Wheels, we view our suppliers as strategic partners in our success. Their dedication to quality, innovation, sustainability, and operational excellence enables us to better serve our customers and continuously improve our performance. These awards recognize organizations that have distinguished themselves through exceptional collaboration and a shared commitment to creating long-term value.
We congratulate all of this year's winners and thank them for their partnership, dedication, and contributions to our continued success. We look forward to building on these strong relationships in the years ahead.
Supplier of the Year 2025 - Americas:
Akzo Nobel Coatings Ltda (Brazil)
AkzoNobel is a global leader in paints and coatings, providing innovative and sustainable solutions to a wide range of industries. Through its operations in Brazil, the company supports Maxion Wheels facilities across Brazil and Argentina with both liquid and powder coating technologies.
In 2025, AkzoNobel distinguished itself through its strong commitment to quality, innovation, sustainability, and supply reliability. The company consistently supported improvements in manufacturing efficiency while maintaining high standards of compliance and technical support, earning an “A” rating in Maxion Wheels' annual Supplier Performance Evaluation.
Supplier of the Year 2025 - Asia:
JSW Steel Limited (India)
JSW Steel Limited (India), part of the O.P. Jindal Group, is one of India’s leading steel manufacturers, with an annual production capacity of 35 million tons across six plants. As a strategic supply chain partner for Maxion India, JSW Steel plays a key role in supporting product development, operational flexibility, and business growth. The company is also recognized for its strong collaboration and commitment, including active engagement and support from its senior leadership team.
In 2025, JSW Steel Limited demonstrated a strong SPE performance, meeting all ESG and governance requirements, which consequently secured them an “A” rating.
Supplier of the Year 2025 - EMEA:
Emil Frei GmbH & Co KG (FreiLacke) (Germany)
FreiLacke, a brand of Emil Frei GmbH & Co. KG, is a family-owned coatings specialist based in Germany's Black Forest region. The company supplies powder and liquid coatings to several Maxion Wheels aluminum wheel plants and supports development initiatives across both aluminum and steel wheel applications.
A trusted partner known for its technical expertise and customer-focused approach, FreiLacke consistently delivers outstanding operational performance and sustainability results. In 2025, the company achieved SPE scores above 97, met all quality, ESG, and governance requirements, and earned an “A” rating in Maxion Wheels' Supplier Performance Evaluation.
Green Wheel 2025:Akzo Nobel Coatings CZ (Czech Republic)
As outlined above in the Supplier of the Year – Americas – section, AkzoNobel is a global leader in paints and coatings. AkzoNobel Coatings CZ, a.s., based in Opava, Czech Republic, is part of the AkzoNobel group.
As a key supplier to Maxion Wheels Ostrava, Akzo Nobel Coatings CZ supports wheel manufacturing operations with high-quality coating solutions while demonstrating a strong commitment to responsible business practices.
Recipient of the 2025 Green Wheel Award, Akzo Nobel Coatings CZ distinguished itself through outstanding sustainability performance, achieving an SPE Sustainability score of 24 out of 25 and full compliance with Maxion Wheels' ESG, governance, and responsible sourcing requirements. Backed by AkzoNobel's ambitious sustainability agenda and strong transparency, the company exemplifies leadership in environmental stewardship and sustainable value creation across the supply chain.
