SAINT-LAURENT, Quebec, March 12, 2002 -- USFilter's John Meunier Products received ISO 9001:2000 certification on December 10, 2001, more than two years before the final deadline for organizations to migrate to the new standard.
As a result, John Meunier Products is one of the first companies in North America to become certified to ISO 9001:2000.
Initially certified in 1998 to ISO 9001:1994, John Meunier Products felt that expediting its ISO 9001:2000 certification would send an important message to employees and customers alike.
"So often nowadays, companies wait until the last minute, for one reason or another, to comply with standards set by third-party organizations or the government," says Gilles Filion, president and general manager of John Meunier Products. "We felt that pursuing ISO 9001:2000 certification before the mandated December 15, 2003 deadline would further strengthen our management's commitment to quality, at the same time ensuring continued customer satisfaction and process improvements. Quality is so important to our customers, which is something our employees always keep in mind as it relates to job performance."
Developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the ISO 9000 standards are a set of international quality management system (QMS) standards and guidelines that help organizations incorporate quality management into their processes and activities. The 1994 versions of the ISO 9001, ISO 9002, and ISO 9003 standards have been condensed into the ISO 9001:2000 standard.
The new ISO 9001 and the other standards in the revised ISO 9000:2000 series use simple, clear yet generic language that applies to a broad range of organizations and businesses, regardless of type, size or product/service category. A tool in Total Quality Management, the ISO 9000:2000 series standards differ from their predecessors in that they emphasize top management's commitment to QMS, the process approach followed within organizations, those organizations' continual improvement and increased customer satisfaction. In addition, the new standards take into consideration statutory and regulatory requirements, and establish measurable QMS objectives.
The ISO 9000:2000 standards are also now more compatible with the ISO 14000 series standards, which focus on environmental management measures that organizations take to minimize any potentially harmful effects their activities may have on the environment.
For further information about the new ISO 9000:2000 standards or the organization in general, visit ISO's web site at www.iso.org.
Founded in 1948 by John Meunier, USFilter's John Meunier Products continues to be a global water and wastewater treatment technological and manufacturing leader, with products for applications such as potable water production, stormwater management, control systems, laboratory equipment, snow disposal equipment, sludge management and plant operation and management. A strong supporter of research and development, John Meunier Products is also a founding member of the Industrial Chair on drinking water at the University of Montreal.
USFilter, a Vivendi Environnement company, is North America's largest water company providing comprehensive water and wastewater systems and services to commercial, industrial, municipal and residential customers.
Vivendi Environnement (Paris Bourse: VIE and NYSE:VE), comprised of Vivendi Water (worldwide water products and services), Onyx (solid waste and industrial services), Dalkia (energy management), Connex (transportation and logistics) and FCC (Spanish company engaged in environmental and construction related industries), is the largest environmental services company in the world with more than 250,000 employees in about 100 countries and annual revenues of more than $25 billion.
Visit the company's web sites at www.usfilter.com or www.vivendienvironnement-finance.com.
