KENT, OHIO – December 2018 – PRESS RELEASE – Smithers-Oasis, a provider of solutions throughout the plant and flower supply chain from propagation to consumer, has announced that its Kent, Ohio headquarters and facilities have been certified under ISO 9001:2015 as of Sept. 6, 2018.
The company earned its certification and has been audited and registered by Bureau Veritas, a provider of laboratory testing, inspection and certification services.
“Earning ISO 9001:2015 certification has opened new doors of opportunity within the company for global collaboration,” said Jim Daly, vice president of FLORALIFE/Grower Global Operations and Corporate Research. “This certification demonstrates our desire to always perform at the highest levels of quality and efficiency. It’s essential to delivering innovative, high quality and customer-focused solutions to our customers.”
Smithers-Oasis began its internal preparation for certification in January 2017, by evaluating its existing procedures and aligning them with the new requirements. The scope of the audit encompassed design, development, planning, documentation, testing and manufacturing of grower, post-harvest floral and engineered products. The facilities covered in the certification included Smithers-Oasis corporate headquarters, Smithers-Oasis corporate research facility and the OASIS Grower Solutions and Engineered Products facility, all located in Kent, Ohio.
The ISO certification process involved more than 100 Smithers-Oasis employees, from managers to floor personnel. The team members, who were led by Chuck Miller, corporate quality systems manager for Smithers-Oasis, and Joe Scott, quality manager for Smithers-Oasis, received training on quality management systems and tools and new processes as they related to ISO standards. Key leaders of the certification team received extensive internal auditor training that helped them coach and direct other team members through the entire auditing process.
“For any company, the road to certification requires time and commitment, and ours was no different,” said Miller. “This achievement is a part of an ongoing improvement cycle that provides additional assurance to our customers that we are focused on continuous improvement and customer satisfaction.”
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2015 is the most updated standard of its kind and focuses on quality management systems and performance. It assists companies in developing a management system that aligns quality with their wider business strategy. There is a focus on risk-based thinking and accountability in all organizational processes that helps improve communications, efficiency, and implementation of continuous improvement.
The company recently celebrated its certification with a companywide event on Oct. 26, 2018.
