Sukup Manufacturing Co. Earns ISO 9001:2015 Quality Certification From Alcumus ISOQAR

Feb. 24, 2020 - Sukup Manufacturing Co. has been certified by Alcumus ISOQAR for meeting standards of the ISO 9001:2015 quality-assurance program.

The certification, which the organization awarded in late January following a three-day audit earlier that month, verifies that the company has the personnel, organization, procedures and equipment to consistently produce high-quality grain bins, steel buildings, support structures and tower dryers.

“It’s one more thing that sets us apart from our competition,” said Jason Arndt, sales manager for Sukup Manufacturing.

He added that Sukup is one of only a few bin manufacturers to achieve the certification.

“This certification highlights our commitment to putting the customer first and placing a top priority on continuous improvement,” said Steve Sukup, president and chief executive officer of Sukup Manufacturing Co.

The three-day audit was performed by Graham Thorpe, senior lead auditor for Alcumus ISOQAR, which is a United Kingdom-based independent certification agency with a worldwide network of auditors.

Thorpe inspected areas at Sukup including welding procedures, instrument calibration, maintenance records, employee training records, structural support calculations, shop floor conditions, material traceability and truck driver certifications.

ISO 9001 is the international standard for quality management systems (QMS).

More than one million of the world’s top organizations use the ISO 9001 QMS, according to Alcumus.

It certifies that a business has a strong commitment to providing quality products.

The audit also provides a framework to improve business practices by eliminating waste, cutting costs and improving morale and efficiency, said Ben Furleigh, quality manager at Sukup Manufacturing.

The certification process and quality management system upgrade can also identify risks and either eliminate or mitigate them.

Being certified shows that a company follows best international practices and can be a trusted business partner, according to Alcumus.

The certification helps companies get on preferred supplier lists, and is often a requirement when seeking new customers, especially when bidding for work with larger organizations or the public sector.

Andy Schmitt, supply chain manager for Sukup Manufacturing, credited the company’s international sales team for initiating the push last year for ISO 9001 certification to help with sales in Latin America.

Schmitt is one of five third-generation members of the Sukup family who are involved daily in the company.

ISO 9001 was first published in 1987 by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), an international agency composed of the national standards bodies of more than 160 countries.

The current version of ISO 9001 was released in September 2015.

For more information, please contact Rachel Geilenfeld at 515-290-1702 or rgeilenfeld@sukup.com