Cresco’s Upper Iowa Tool, Die Innovations is ISO certified

CRESCO - In textspeak ISO may mean “In Search Of,” but in the business world it shows a company is willing to go that extra step in assuring their customers they do quality work.

After nearly a year of paperwork and planning, Upper Iowa Tool & Die & Innovations of Cresco, owned by Scott Fortune, has attained the elite status of International Organization for Standardization (with the acronym ISO). 

“Getting certified means you follow certain prescribed standards,” Fortune said. 

Employee Tim Wolter did much of the footwork on getting the company certified. “Basically, you say what you do. You do what you say. And you document it. We were certified in April. 

“They will come back in April 2020 to make sure we are following the rules, and in three years we will have a recertification audit.”

NICC helped the company with a grant and consultant. Fortune noted, “NICC does more than just educate students. They also support local businesses.”

Each person in the company who works on a project at Upper Iowa Tool initials the paperwork. Wolter explained, “It is [an official] failsafe built into the process to make sure it gets done, and you didn’t miss something.”

Fortune added the company has to commit to following the procedures. “We developed it specifically for our business. ISO is a way of validating what a company does so customers can say, ‘This guy knows his stuff and does things properly. I have confidence to get what I expect to get.’” In addition, the procedures are continually changing, as happens when a company grows. If nothing changes, it’s hard to grow.

When changes take place on procedures, the documentation done by employees also needs to be changed.

Fortune commends his employees. “With ISO, employee involvement is key to the success. Without their attention to detail and completion of the ISO forms on each job, UITD  would not achieve or be able to maintain the ISO Certification. We are all in this together!”

Upper Iowa Tool is unique because management saw the importance of holding themselves to a higher standard for their customers. The company has less than 10 employees and still pushed themselves to be better by spending around $20,000 of the company’s money to get certified.

Upper Iowa Tool’s experience spans over two generations of ownership and over 30 years of business at its current location. The company is dedicated to providing low-cost parts at the highest quality while maintaining expedited turn around times.

Employees work closely with their customers, so both partners know exactly what is expected of the other. Some of their clients come from around the world, as well as in their own front yard, at Donaldson Company.