ISO 9001 Group Certification
May 14, 1999
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Stephen Durr (757) 486-6623

Hermes Abrasives, one of the world's leading producers of industrial coated abrasives, completed audits in pursuit of ISO 9001 Group certification. The Accreditation firm TUV was on site in March 1999 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. All audits were successful on the first attempt and the accreditation team recommended Hermes for ISO 9001 Group Certification.

Certification by TUV is recognized around the world as meeting the ISO 9001 quality system guidelines. ISO 9000 series certification is not easy as a majority of firms attempting to gain certification fail on the first attempt.

The International Organization of Standardization, located in Geneva, Switzerland, is comprised of national standards' bodies from over 90 countries. They promote international standards for trade and manufacturing processes. One of the standards they promote is the ISO 9000 series of guidelines for quality assurance. ISO 9001 covers production, installation, and Research and development operations and are the guidelines for manufacturing firms.

Over a year of planning, teamwork and dedication went into the Certification process. Reviews of all current quality manuals, procedures, work instructions, and policies were completed. Procedure revisions and/or corrective actions were utilized to correct any deficiencies discovered. Controlled documents were created to ensure the correct procedures were followed.

ISO 9002 Certification is not a one time recognition. Constant quality monitoring and improvement is required. Once certified, a firm is audited annually with a complete reevaluation every three years.

Hermes Abrasives is a privately owned company, founded in Hamburg, Germany in 1927. Operations in the United States began in 1957. In 1979, manufacturing operations were moved from New York to Virginia Beach, Virginia. The facilities in Virginia house one of the world's most modern "Making Machines" for the production of Coated Abrasives. Hermes offers a complete line of coated abrasive products for all areas of the metalworking, woodworking, glass, plastics, and plywood and particleboard industries.

Previously, Hermes in Hamburg, Germany became the first European abrasives company to receive ISO 9001 Certification, which incorporates areas of research and development into the scope of the accreditation.

Jerry Will, Vice President, Product Engineering & Quality Control, summed up the ISO 9001 Certification process as "Saying what we do, doing what we say, and proving that we do it!".

Hermes is an ISO 9001 certified United States manufacturer, offering a complete line of abrasive products for all industrial applications.

E-mail: Coatedabrasives@hermesabrasives.com