Working together for a global network Merger of DQS and UL MSS strengthens IQNet's presence in America and Asia
DQS GmbH Deutsche Gesellschaft zur Zertifizierung von Managementsystemen has set itself ambitious goals: organic sales growth of ten to fifteen percent within the current year. An important basis for this is being provided by the merger with the management system certification division (MSS-Management System Solutions) of the American product certifier Underwriters Laboratories (UL). The merger was ratified back on the first of April, and at the start of May came the approval from the cartel office. The new DQS-UL is now one of the top five system certifiers in the world.
For DQS the growth also means it will gain experienced auditors in many different countries as well as access to new lines of business. While DQS has so far been very strong in the automotive segment, the food industry and with service providers, former UL MSS' strengths are in aerospace and telecommunications. Likewise, geographical positioning has much improved: "With the takeover of the MSS division of UL, which has a strong market position in the USA and Asia in particular, we now have a presence in the most important core markets in Europe, North and South America and Asia. A new era is therefore beginning on the way towards global strength," says a pleased Michael Drechsel, Vice President of IQNet and General Manager of DQS. "The merger brings great advantages for the network and its partners because now, IQNet enjoys strong representation in the North American market as well thanks to its partners there, and it occupies a leading market position."
The merger with part of the large UL Group also means a partnership with one of the world's leading product certifiers. Customers are will benefit from well-coordinated services in the two areas of product and system certification. DQS therefore combines the best of two worlds, as Drechsel explains: "As a specialist in management system certification, we always keep an eye on the quality of our assessments and the reliability of our certificates. For all customers who demand the expertise of a specialist but also place value on well-coordinated processes with product certification, we have now found the perfect solution - cooperation with the specialists from UL."
DQS is represented in 44 countries with a total of 61 locations throughout the world. More than 500 employees and 1,850 highly qualified auditors provide certification in a global network for customers in more than 45,000 locations. Another important facet of the international focus is the membership in IQNet: DQS is a founding member of the biggest network of management system certifiers.
For more information go to www.dqs.de
