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Steel Tube Institute Recognizes First Companies to Achieve Certified Producer Status
09/28/2011 - Six steel tubular product manufacturers have passed the Steel Tube Institute of North America audit process and earned the right to display the STINA Certified Producer mark on their products.
The Steel Tube Institute of North America (STINA) announced that six steel tubular product manufacturers have passed its audit process and earned the right to display the STINA Certified Producer mark on their products.
The certified facilities — all of which are producers of steel hollow structural sections (HSS) — are:
· Allied Tube, Morrisville, Pa.
· Atlas Tube, Chicago, Ill.; Harrow, Ont.; and Plymouth, Mich.
· Bull Moose Tube, Trenton, Ga.; and Elkhart, Ind.
· Searing Industries, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
· Southland Tube, Birmingham, Ala.
· Vest, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif.
These six companies are the first to have successfully passed the rigorous audits and product testing administered by Intertek, one of the world's largest providers of auditing, inspections, testing, quality assurance and certification of companies' products and processes. They have undergone a series of internal audits and product testing over the past three months to assure their processes, manufacturing procedures and products adhere to ASTM and other nationally recognized manufacturing standards.
The Steel Tube Institute's Producer Certification Program is an ongoing process. Once a company has passed the initial assessment, it is subjected to up to two visits a year by Intertek, who will audit and test the company's raw materials, production processes and post production test reports, and obtain samples of manufactured tubes for testing at their Verification Center.
"Intertek's years of experience were evident during the process, and their comments and suggestions to our member companies were insightful," said Bill Wolfe, STINA's Executive Director. "It was not only the testing procedures, but the additional information and recommendations they provided that made their audit processes so valuable," he said.
A second group of companies is currently applying for or undergoing the process of certification.
Mark Bula, STINA's HSS Director, discussed how the Producer Certification Program is establishing a higher standard of integrity for the industry’s products. "ASTM specifications set the primary standards for our industry," he explained. "But until now, they have been voluntary standards, and they've been self-certified. The STINA Certified Producer Program adds an independent, third-party certification. That's a significant difference. It raises the bar to a new level."
The Steel Tube Institute of North America was formed in 1930 when a group of manufacturers joined forces to promote and market steel tubing. Their goal was to mount a cooperative effort that would improve manufacturing techniques and inform customers about their products' utility, versatility and competitive advantages. This, along with providing a forum for the discussion of issues impacting the industry, remains the basic motivation for the Institute's efforts.
STINA's HSS Committee includes the majority of the leading producers of HSS in the U.S. and Canada. The group has been active as a STINA committee for more than 20 years, providing technical and design help for the industry, and promoting the features, benefits and uses of steel hollow structural sections (HSS) to specifiers, users and others in a wide variety of end markets, including: the construction, highway, bridge, equipment and transportation markets.
