ArvinMeritor and Midwest Wheel Companies were named Manufacturer Technology Partner of the Year and Distributor Technology Partner of the Year, respectively, by HDX Services
. HDX Services, a subsidiary of Datalliance, presented the honors at its inaugural 2009 Manufacturer and Distributor "Technology Partner of the Year" awards Sept. 15 at the Aftermarket Distribution Summit.

ArvinMeritor was chosen out of four top manufacturers, which were nominated by an independent board of distributors. Meanwhile, Midwest Wheel Companies was selected from four top distributors, which were nominated by a board of manufacturers. The entire HDX distributor community voted to determine the winner of the Manufacturer Technology Partner award, while the HDX manufacturer community voted similarly for the Distributor Technology Partner award winner.

"These two companies epitomize the spirit of this award," said Edward Kuo, executive director of HDX Services. "Both have been proactive pushing HDX-specific projects like EDI, VMI and the Price File Library, as well as creating other company specific ways to enhance their relationships with their trading partners. They have also had active representatives on HDX standards committees and continually look for new ways to benefit the independent aftermarket side of this business."

According to Kuo, the criteria for determining the winners of the awards included successful technology implementation, willingness to automate processes through new technologies, technology leadership and vision, and industry advocacy.

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