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QMI-SAI GLOBAL ANNOUNCEMENT GMA-SAFE PROGRAM
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QMI-SAI GLOBAL ANNOUNCEMENT GMA-SAFE PROGRAM
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QMI-SAI Global
(“QMI-SAI”) is pleased to announce that it has acquired from the Grocery Manufacturers Association (“GMA”), the GMA-SAFE Program assets and operations. GMA will continue to be involved with the GMA-SAFE Program with QMI-SAI; however, its role will shift from running day to day operations to an advisory function.
QMI-SAI is the Americas Division of SAI Global Limited. SAI Global Ltd (ASX: SAI) is a world leading applied information services company that helps organizations manage risk, achieve compliance and drive business improvement through: delivering standards, regulatory and technical information; adding value to this information; creating training, communication and monitoring solutions; and providing assurance through independent assessment. For further information please visit
www.qmi-saiglobal.com or www.gma-safe.org .
QMI-SAI is also the oldest and largest provider of assurance services in the Americas with over 14,000 registrations. “The GMA-SAFE Program is transitioning to a very capable and experienced organization”, says QMI-SAI President, Wendy Tilford, “the food companies involved with the GMA-SAFE Program will benefit from the vast experience and capability that QMI-SAI and the SAI Global family has gained from working with the food industry”. SAI Global Limited, with its related bodies and affiliates, is a world leader in training, auditing, and assessment with a client base of food organizations of over 5,000 food manufacturers and 25,000 food producers. SAI Global is experienced in working with virtually every significant global food auditing and assessment standard or program.
Under QMI-SAI, the program name, logo, contact information, web pages, and other elements of the program will not change. The Washington, DC office will remain in operation. The approach to operating the GMA-SAFE Program will remain relatively unchanged, although enhancements and improvements to the GMA-SAFE information systems and platform are planned. The GMA-SAFE operations will join the QMI-SAI Agri-Food Group under the leadership of Executive Director, Paul Valder. Bruce Becker, GMA-SAFE Program Director, and Randy Wilkinson, Director Audit Quality, have joined QMI-SAI, and they will continue to provide day to day leadership and further development of the program. Paul Valder sums it up this way, “Their experience and dedication to the success of the GMA-SAFE Program combined with the experience and strength of the QMI-SAI Agri-Food Group makes for a very powerful and dynamic team. We look forward to working closely with the GMA-SAFE Operations Committee and other key stakeholders to guide the success of the GMA-SAFE Program into the future”.
Cal Dooley, CEO of the Grocery Manufacturers Association adds, “We could not be more pleased with this agreement with QMI-SAI Global. It transitions the day to day operations of the GMA-SAFE Program into the hands of a global leader and expert organization in operating programs like GMA-SAFE. It also creates the opportunity for GMA to reposition its involvement with the program into an advisory oversight and endorsement role, which is more consistent with the mandate of GMA.”
The acquisition was completed on June 9, 2008. Further inquiries should be directed to:
Mr. Paul Valder
Executive Director
QMI-SAI Global Agri-Food Group
Tel: 416-401-8756
Email: paul.valder@qmisaiglobal.com
Mr. Bruce Becker
GMA-SAFE Program Director
Tel:202-637-4808
Email: bruce.becker@gma-safe.com
Mr. Randall Wilkinson
GMA-SAFE Director Audit Quality
Tel: 479-855-3131
Email: randall.wilkinson@gma-safe.com
SAI Global Limited (A.C.N 050 611 642) is a public Australian Company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (www.asx.com.au Code SAI) (www.saiglobal.com )
