Friction One Receives Dual Awards at O'Reilly Supplier Summit

Friction One secured two prestigious awards at the O’Reilly Next Level Mexico Supplier Summit held in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. The event emphasized building strategic partnerships to support O’Reilly’s distribution expansion in Mexico, with discussions centered on shipping efficiency, supplier vetting, vehicle coverage, cataloging, and supply chain consistency. Friction One’s recognition highlights its contributions in catalog content and overall partnership performance within the brake components sector.

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• Dual awards for Friction One: Catalog Content and Strategic Partnership.
• Catalog Content award recognizes comprehensive, high-resolution 360-degree images.
• Strategic Partnership award acknowledges timeliness, attention to detail, and consistent support.
• Ongoing investment in Juarez, Mexico facility to expand North American brake pad production.
• 2026 production targets: 30 million brake rotors, 35 million brake pads, and 6 million brake shoe sets.

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Event Focus on Supplier Partnerships and Efficiency

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The O’Reilly Next Level Mexico Supplier Summit prioritized culture and strategic supplier relationships to facilitate O’Reilly’s growth in the Mexican market. Key topics included shipping and distribution efficiency, rigorous supplier selection and vetting processes, accurate vehicle coverage and cataloging, and maintaining supply chain consistency. Cataloging emerged as a critical focus, particularly with the increasing role of digital tools in online sales.

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O’Reilly conducted an awards ceremony to honor top-performing suppliers across various categories. These recognitions underscore the importance of reliable partnerships in supporting aftermarket distribution networks, especially for brake system components.

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Friction One’s Catalog Content Excellence

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Friction One earned its first award in the Catalog Content category. The company provided O’Reilly with comprehensive, high-resolution 360-degree images, enhancing product visibility and accuracy in digital catalogs. Jon Teesdale, Vice President of Product Management at Friction One, accepted the award on stage. This recognition reflects significant efforts by Teesdale and the Friction One catalog team to deliver high-quality cataloging support, directly contributing to O’Reilly’s online selling capabilities.

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Strategic Partnership Recognition

Shortly after, Friction One received the Strategic Partnership award. Nominated by their O’Reilly Category Manager, the company was honored for consistent top-level support across all partnership aspects.

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Key factors included:

• Timeliness of communication
• Attention to detail
• Overall effort and dedication

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Teesdale accepted this second award and commented on the significance of the dual honors. He emphasized Friction One’s appreciation for O’Reilly’s trust in supporting their brake program and the company’s commitment to partnership excellence.

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Expansion of North American Production Capabilities

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Friction One recently established brake pad production in North America through the acquisition of a facility in Juarez, Mexico. The company has invested heavily in the plant since the purchase earlier this year.

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Improvements include:

• A full line of automated positive mold presses
• New automated grinding machines
• Expanded shim and hardware production

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These enhancements aim to increase production capacity and efficiency in brake friction materials.

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Future Production Goals and Global Footprint

Friction One targets a strategic global manufacturing footprint for brake components by 2026. The company has set ambitious production objectives to meet growing demand in the aftermarket sector.

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Planned annual outputs include:

• 30 million brake rotors
• 35 million brake pads
• 6 million brake shoe sets

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These goals align with Friction One’s focus on supporting major distributors like O’Reilly through enhanced supply capabilities.

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