DERWENTSIDE engineering firm Ronco Engineering is celebrating becoming the first precision engineering company to be awarded certified supplier status from Caterpillar in Peterlee.

Ronco Engineering was awarded the certification after completing an intensive quality assessment programme.

Managing director of Ronco, Bill Bull, said "To reach this level of success is a great achievement for our business and could never have been achieved without the commitment and hard work of every employee. We are all delighted to have gained an internationally recognised quality accreditation and believe that this will open up new opportunities for the business."

To achieve the certification, the Ronco team was required to fully integrate its systems with those of Caterpillar from administration to Statistical Process Control.

Dave Wiseman, quality supply analyst at Caterpillar, said: "Ronco Engineering has worked closely with Caterpillar over many years to develop systems that support our business.

"It was a natural choice for us to elect the company into the programme and I believe that the process has made both businesses stronger."

The certification has already begun to pay off for Ronco, which has received an inquiry from Caterpillar Italy for a contract worth £1m over the next three years. It has also started work on two new contracts for blue chip clients,

Established on the Tanfield Lea Industrial Estate in 1992, Ronco Engineering now occupies 15,000 sq ft premises and employs 36 staff.