COLUMBUS, Ohio: Honda’s Canadian suppliers had a good showing at a conference wher the automaker recognized its network of more than 600 original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and service parts suppliers, honouring top-performing operations in key areas such as quality, value, efficiency and on-time delivery.

Seven Canadian companies took home awards. In total, Honda recognized 53 of its suppliers.

The Canadian winners are:

Triple award for excellence in delivery, quality and value: Fleetwood metal Inc., Otterville, ontDouble award for excellence in delivery and value: Green Tokai Co., Brookville, Ont.Excellence in quality: Linamar Corp., Guelph, Ont.; Multimatic Mfg., Concord, Ont.Excellence in delivery: A.P. Plasman Corp., Windsor, Ont., F & P Mfg Inc., Tottenham, Ont.

Honda of America Mfg. president Hide Iwata, who also leads Honda’s North American manufacturing operations, said its suppliers will play a critical role in the company’s expansion plans.

Honda will invest more than $775 million to improve its operations in Ohio and Alabama, adding a second shift to double production at its auto plant in Indiana, and is building an $800 million plant in Mexico with capacity to manufacture 200,000 sub-compact models, including the Honda Fit.

“These moves will make North America the production volume leader for Honda,” Iwata said. “It also means that our manufacturing operations here must play a strong role within global Honda to share our production know-how.”

Honda’s 600 OEM suppliers provide parts to 14 Honda manufacturing plants in North America for the production of Honda and Acura automobiles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and other utility products.

Honda also recognized nine OEM parts suppliers for their Challenging Spirit, based on initiatives to overcome extraordinary operational challenges. Yachiyo of ontario Mfg. Inc., based in Barrie, Ont. was the Canadian winner.

Honda’s North American OEM parts purchases totalled $16 billion in 2011 and have exceeded $85 billion over the past five years.