Calibre International Begins QCA Certification Process

Calibre International (UPIC: HCL) has applied to participate in the Quality Certification Alliance’s (QCA) certification program.

The QCA is an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping promotional products companies provide safe products. Since the compliance program began in 2009, 19 industry companies have achieved QCA certification, while others are participating in the QCA-accreditation program.

Compliance issues are under scrutiny at many companies, as product safety issues have come under renewed focus. Increasingly, corporate clients are looking at their promotional products supply chains more closely, and distributors reward suppliers that can show they are compliant.

“The safety and compliance of our products has always been extremely important to Calibre International,” says Daniel Oas, Calibre International founder and CEO. “We believe that the QCA certification process will not only improve our current testing and compliance program, but it will also allow us to achieve the nationally recognized QCA accreditation that will bring peace of mind to our customers and ultimately their end-user clients.”

The Irwindale, California-based Calibre is currently in the accreditation process’s self-certification phase, which calls for a self-assessment of its testing and compliance program. In the next step, the company will submit its headquarters and supplier base to multiple third-party audits. The results of these will be used by the QCA board to determine whether accreditation is granted.

“QCA is pleased with the addition of Calibre International to the growing roster of suppliers who have entered into the QCA new applicant process,” says Brent Stone, QCA executive director of operations. “We continue to see an expansion of the categories that are or will soon be available from QCA Accredited Suppliers. This is primarily being driven by the growing number of distributors who are choosing QCA accredited suppliers as the cornerstone of their product safety and compliance program solutions for their Fortune 1000 clients. These industry-leading distributors simply cannot put their hard-earned client relationships at risk by transacting with companies that have under-developed supply chains. The movement toward collaborative solution providing is perhaps one of the most exciting, positive yet unintended consequences of the QCA Certification Program.”