Parma, Idaho, USA
November 5, 2010
The Quality Assurance Department of Nunhems USA, a subsidiary of Bayer CropScience, is the first American quality assurance department to earn a certification from Naktuinbouw, the Netherlands Inspection Service for Horticulture.
The Naktuinbouw Accredited Laboratory (NAL) certification reflects the company’s quality management systems, including laboratory practices, validated and approved protocols, analyst competence and training, and internal and external auditing.
“We are very proud of this significant accomplishment,” said Brad Peters, Nunhems Quality Control Manager. “Nunhems USA can now provide its customers with NAL Quality Certificates, which are highly regarded and known throughout the global seed trade.”
Naktuinbouw, the organization that awards the accreditation, is the independent quality inspection agency that operates under the supervision of the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. Like the USDA’s APHIS program, Naktuinbouw is charged with promoting and monitoring the quality of horticulture throughout the supply chain. Because Nunhems USA does business globally, the NAL accreditation is an important signal to buyers and governments that the seeds they receive from Nunhems USA have been rigorously evaluated for quality.
To earn the NAL accreditation, nearly all of Nunhems USA’s quality assurance protocols were examined by a panel of experts to assure the company met or exceeded the organization’s requirements. Nunhems USA is now among only thirteen companies—including Nunhems Netherlands—worldwide to earn this prestigious accreditation.
Nunhems formally accepted the Certificate of Accreditation last week at a ceremony at its U.S. headquarters in Parma, Idaho. Naktuinbouw director Nico Koomen and chairman Henk Lange traveled from the Netherlands to join numerous Nunhems company officials, including Nunhems Global Head of Quality Assurance Jim Watkins, and Nunhems CEO Douwe Zijp, for the ceremony.
Ron Amarel, Nunhems Managing Director of Operations, Nico Koomen, Director of Naktuinbouw, Jim Watkins, Nunhems Global Head of Quality Assurance, and Henk Lange, Chairman of the Board of Naktuinbouw (from left to right.)
“Quality Assurance is a vital part of delivering reliable, high quality seed,” Peters said. “NAL accreditation is another step we are taking to ensure our clients know quality comes first at Nunhems.”
Nunhems, a subsidiary of Bayer CropScience, is the global specialist in vegetable genetics and services. As a globally integrated group of teams Nunhems builds unique customer relationships and shares products, concepts and expertise with the professional horticultural production industry and supply chain. Its portfolio includes leading varieties and brands in crops such as leek, onion, carrot, melon, cucumber, tomato, watermelon, lettuce and pepper.
With annual sales of EUR 240 million in 2009, Nunhems is among the world’s leading vegetable seed companies with an extensive range of 28 species and some 2,500 varieties. With more than 1,500 people, Nunhems is present in all major vegetable production areas in the world.
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