Northumberland-based engineering firm Black Hills Products Ltd has secured three UKAS accredited ISO certifications for its commitment to quality, health and safety, environment and continuous improvement.
The family business, led by husband-and-wife team Dave and Lynsey Crossman, provides tailored engineering solutions and fabricated component and assembly services to the UK utilities and renewable energy sectors. Its clients include Northern Power Grid and SCJ Renewables.
To secure all the three international standards in Quality Management Systems (ISO9001), Environmental Management Systems (ISO14001) and Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (ISO45001), the company invested £40,000 and conducted a root and branch review of its policies and processes to guarantee compliance and consistency across its services and operations.
Dave Crossman, Black Hills Products founder and managing director, explains: “Many businesses undertake one ISO certification, a small percentage opt for two, but rarely do they go for three concurrently, especially a small family firm like ours, which really motivated us to go beyond this requirement.
“We want to be an industry leader so it’s important that we are at the forefront of best practice. We have been working to achieve these standards for 18 months. It is great news, and this success reflects the hard work, commitment and effort that has been made to ensure we meet stringent international standards.
“Our ISO certifications provide assurance that the company has robust, clearly defined procedures in place. We want to stand out from the crowd and give our clients confidence that their products are safe, reliable and fit for purpose. Implementing ISO systems ensures that we produce consistent outcomes with increased efficiency, which in turn helps to reduce costs and enables us to keep prices competitive for our clients.”
Black Hills Products enlisted the expertise of Emacity Procurement Services in Northumberland to conduct a gap analysis and assist in the setup of processes and documentation to align with the ISO process.
Emacity consultant Katy Lukasik, adds: “There’s never been a more important time to be ISO certified. With global customers demanding higher standards, it’s vital that you’re meeting their needs. Black Hills Products has committed to ISO and the team is not only dedicated to meeting the highest international standards in best practice, but they are also devoted to maintaining and exceeding them.
“It was a pleasure to work with them on their ISO journey. The certifications give Black Hills a competitive edge in competing for new business and instil even greater customer confidence in product performance, safety, quality, ethics and sustainability, which underpin each step of the operational process and delivering value to their customers.”
The ISO news comes as Black Hills Products, which launched in 2017, has seen significant growth and continued to maintain a resilient performance in the face of uncertainties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Sleekburn-based company is currently on target to double its turnover in 2022.