Wahl Review by: Jennifer Stepniowski, Regional Operations Manager, Pro QC International
“Wahl is U.S. ingenuity and stands for quality.”
A truly innovative and family oriented company, Wahl’s professional beauty and barber, consumer retail and animal grooming products can be found in over 165 nations around the world. Having celebrated their 90th anniversary in 2009, Wahl proudly boasts not having a layoff since 1964!
I spoke with Jean Champlain, Pro QC’s Supplier Development Manager, as well as Brad Capes, the Global Supply Chain Director at Wahl, regarding the partnership between the two companies.
In 2009, Wahl partnered with Pro QC to conduct a series of audits that were required by a large U.S. retailer. The series of audits that were performed were based on the social accountability standard SA8000, as well as the U.S. retailer’s specific supplier requirements.
In addition to the audits, Pro QC developed a schedule for the project that included visiting the plant to review the information, train staff members and assist them in putting safety and social management systems in place according to the applicable standards and laws. The result was an acceptable final audit that has allowed Wahl to proceed with distribution through the U.S. retailer.
When asked what the primary purpose for choosing Pro QC’s services was, Brad Capes explained that “in addition to supporting our efforts to pass the audit, we wanted to ensure that Wahl was doing the ‘right things’ for our employees.” Brad went on to discuss his interactions with Jean and described him as “very honest, knowledgeable, hard working and dedicated to the project. He provided educated feedback that helped us balance best practices and business requirements. I am confident that we would not have made the progress without Jean’s support, nor do I think that we would have developed the courage to proceed with the audit.”
Pro QC has enjoyed working on this project with Wahl and looks forward to additional supplier development or other QA/QC assistance as it becomes necessary. For additional information regarding Wahl, visit their website at www.wahl.com. Or, for additional information regarding Pro QC International, visit www.proqc.com or contact an account manager directly.
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