Overland Park, Kansas-based Design Resources; Lenexa, Kansas-based Gill Studios and Fairfield New Jersey-based Points of Light have applied to participate in the accreditation program developed by the Quality Certification Alliance (QCA), the promotional product industry’s only independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping companies provide safe products.
These three suppliers join the 11 applicants that are currently enrolled in the Quality Certification Alliance accreditation program as well as the 14 companies that are QCA-certified.
Paul Lage, Gill Studios CEO commented, “Product safety is critically important to the industry because when one company has an issue, it reflects poorly on us all.” Lage continued, “We cannot afford to have end-buyers questioning the use of promotional products if there is a perception of risk, and QCA provides the needed framework for compliance and communication.”
Brent Stone, QCA executive director–operations, said, “We are particularly pleased that these companies are becoming part of QCA, as they represent new category offerings for end-buyers. These new applicants bring the total number of QCA-accredited companies plus new applicants to 28 companies. We are now actively working with the QCA Distributor Advocacy Group to not only more effectively communicate the safe product and compliance message to corporate America but also educate suppliers, distributors and buyers on the state and federal requirements as well as ways they can apply compliance within their business strategies.”
LeeAnn Schumacher, director of strategic sourcing and merchandising, for Itasca, Illinois-based Summit Marketing Group and member of the QCA Distributor Advocacy Group, believes the QCA Accreditation Program is exactly what the industry needs to secure sources of supply that are unsurpassed in their quality of products and services.
Schumacher noted, “At Summit, we recognize that our success is based on the quality of our relationships with our customers, employees, suppliers and communities. As such, we strive to be a socially responsible company and know that the trust our customers have in us is not to be taken lightly.” She added, “We work hard to see that the goods we sell are made in compliance with applicable laws, and we seek supplier partners who share our commitment to quality products and business principles. As part of our Key Supplier Program in 2011, Summit will encourage suppliers to consider QCA as a compliance solution if they are not already accredited within the marketplace.”
Chicago, Illinois-based Quality Certification Alliance is an independent accreditation organization whose mission is to elevate the standards by which industry firms that import and/or manufacture promotional products provide consistently safe, high-quality, socially compliant and environmentally conscientious merchandise. QCA accreditation is granted to companies who complete an independent third-party audit and comply with stringent standards, which are based upon a combination of state and national laws, international standards and industry-accepted best practices that are recognized for their strength and effectiveness by QCA accredited companies, the promotional products industry and end-user clients.
For more information, visit www.qcalliance.org.
