Houston — Waste Management Inc., Houston, has announced that Beachwood, Ohio-based Wastequip, Dodge Center, Minn.-based McNeilus Companies Inc. and Asheville, N.C.-based Volvo Construction Equipment North America Inc. are the winners of the company’s 2003 Total Customer Satisfaction Awards. The awards "honor the ‘Best in Class’ suppliers that are proven performance leaders and are continuously helping create a competitive advantage for Waste Management through their unique supplier solutions," says the Waste Management announcement.

Wastequip its award for its containers, and McNeilus won for its collection vehicles and Volvo for its heavy equipment. The awards take five factors into consideration: product and technology leadership; service and support leadership; quality; delivery and lead-time performance; and total cost performance.

"This year’s winners have gone above and beyond the basics and have brought a competitive advantage to [our] company through their unique solutions, competitive pricing and dedicated mind share," says Brad Holcomb, vice president and chief procurement officer for Waste Management.