BRENTWOOD, Essex, 14 December, 2009 – Ford is leading the automotive industry in securing BSI Kitemark certification for its network of approved repair centres.
More than 40 per cent of the 153-strong Ford Approved Repair Centre chain have already gained the increasingly important BSI PAS 125 standard and Kitemark licence and now, thanks to incentives offered by Ford, almost all of the remaining centres have signed up to become certified by the end of 2010.
“Ford is the first manufacturer fully to embrace the BSI PAS 125 Kitemark,” said Nick Halliday, Ford’s manager of collision repair marketing. “We believe that it’s a vital standard to be achieved, a symbol of a quality product which brings peace of mind for the customer.
“The quality of repairs performed by our centres on Ford vehicles is already protected by our own rigorously checked standards; achieving the BSI PAS 125 Kitemark will mean that our repair centres can additionally offer a certified standard for non-Ford vehicles, which is something that leading insurers are increasingly insisting upon.”
The PAS 125 Kitemark is operated by the independent standards and certification organisation BSI, and is an industry-agreed technical specification covering the whole process of vehicle body repair, detailing the minimum requirements for personnel training and maintenance of equipment, as well as the suitability of repair methods and the quality of materials used.
Scott Hanney, Sales Manager at BSI says “It is a fantastic step forward to have a vehicle manufacturer on board with Kitemark Vehicle Body Repair and we truly believe that Ford will soon see the benefits of this much-trusted Kitemark scheme.”
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NOTES TO EDITORS:
About BSI
BSI is a global independent business services organization that inspires confidence and delivers assurance to over 80,000 customers with standards-based solutions. Originating as the world’s first national standards body, BSI has over 2,400 staff operating in over 120 countries through more than 50 global offices. BSI’s key offerings are:
- The development and sale of private, national and international standards and supporting information that promote and share best practice
- Second and third-party management systems assessment and certification in all critical areas of management disciplines
- Testing and certification of services and products for Kitemark and CE marking to UK, European and International standards. BSI is a Notified Body for 17 New Approach EU Directives.
- Certification of high-risk, complex medical devices
- Performance management software solutions
- Training services in support of standards implementation and business best practice.
For further information please visit www.bsigroup.com or www.Kitemark.com