Carver Pump is the first industry in Muscatine to achieve ISO certification. The firm manufactures medium-duty pumps for applications in government and commercial markets. According to Bill Barrett, president, the company passed the assessment with flying colors. Compliance to the standard is determined by an audit of the company's quality system against the standard by an independent auditing firm called a registrar. To achieve certification, a company must develop a documented quality system through a quality manual, procedures and work instructions that outline the way the company complies to the standard.
Companies typically seek certification because a major customer requires it for marketing reasons.
He had come from another company that had become certified and saw first hand the benefits a company realizes from it. Already, Carver Pump has seen benefits from the certification. According to Barrett, the biggest impact was in the customer base. A European pump manufacturer is now interested in entering into a joint venture on several new designs, and a large sale was made to a customer in Italy. Access to customers in domestic markets such as Westinghouse has also increased.