KHS Mexico Now Certified According To ISO 9001:2008
KHS Mexico Now Certified According To ISO 9001:2008
An historic event recently took place at KHS GmbH's Mexican production plant: a first-time inspection by TÜV Rheinland to see if the site complied with ISO 9001:2008. As part of KHS GmbH group certification, KHS Mexico passed the audit carried out by the German safety standards authority with flying colors. Among other things, the auditor made particular positive mention of the tidiness and cleanliness of the factory, the outstanding way in which the warehouses were organized, the high standard of reporting, the perfectly ordered manner of work in the Design Engineering department, and the extremely well-trained quality assurance team. Andreas Hadelich, the manager of KHS Mexico S.A. de C.V., says, "In being certified according to ISO 9001:2008 we are paying due consideration to the wishes of our customers. ISO 9001:2008 now officially confirms the high standard of quality of the products and services provided by the KHS plant in Mexico." Like all KHS factories worldwide, the Mexican production site in Zinacantepec is consistently geared towards KHS' given quality strategy. KHS' worldwide customer base can therefore rest assured that every single KHS product – whichever factory it might come from – represents true value and satisfies the highest quality standards – and that ultimately all KHS machines are produced 'from the same mold'. As an internationally active manufacturer of filling and packaging equipment for the beverage, food and non-food industries, along with the factory in Mexico KHS GmbH has six German production facilities as well as manufacturing plants in Brazil (São Paulo), the USA (Waukesha and Sarasota), India (Ahmedabad), and China (Shantou). In addition to these, KHS maintains more than 60 sales and service centers on all continents. Today, the KHS Group and its 5,400 employees realize sales totaling 750 million euros a year. The KHS plant in Mexico has 178 employees operating in a production area 12,700 m2 or almost 137,000 square feet in size. KHS Mexico is responsible not just for the Mexican market but also for other countries in Central America and the Caribbean. Business at KHS Mexico focuses on the manufacture of new machines, the production of spare parts, and the provision of a full range of services. "Our customers can rest assured that in KHS Mexico they have a strong and trusted partner at their side who responds quickly not only when it comes to the design and installation of turnkey lines and individual machines but also when service is required," states Hadelich. Within the defined market area KHS Mexico has a leading position in the field of filling technology. Approximately 300 filling systems are in operation here, with the number of installed KHS machines at about 1,500 in the core sales area. Over 70 lines in Mexico consist of at least 75% KHS technology. Customers to the Mexico plant include locally active beverage, food, and non-food companies, plus a large number of global players, including Coca-Cola, PBC (the Pepsi Bottling Company), SABMiller, Heineken, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Diageo, Bacardi, Nestlé, Unilever, and Kraft. What's notable about the Mexican beverage market is that it betrays a high consumption of non-alcoholic beverages. Indeed, Mexico now has the second-largest market for alcohol-free beverages in the world. Despite this, a continued strong growth is anticipated in the sector for non-alcoholic beverages, as demonstrated for example by the investment plans harbored by the big players. The same applies to the beer market. At present, Mexico ranks third worldwide among countries with the biggest beer production. "Within the international KHS Group great importance is attached to the Mexican market and the other markets of Central America and the Caribbean," explains Andreas Hadelich. "KHS customers on our markets can profit from the global competence of an international company group that worldwide acts as a partner who is always close to hand and can thus always take perfect account of the local situation."