RIJSWIJK, THE NETHERLANDS, December 1, 2022 – Today, global testing, inspection and certification (TIC) company Kiwa announced the merger with St. Louis-based ASI LLC to the Kiwa Group to strengthen Kiwa’s U.S. footprint significantly in providing Food, Feed & Farm certifications.
ASI, a leading food safety solutions company located in the Midwest region of the U.S., has provided farm-to-fork food safety solutions since the 1940s. Based in St. Louis, America’s epicenter for consumer packaged goods, ASI offers a full suite of safety and quality services to the food and beverage, dietary supplements and, most recently, cannabis industries.
“Kiwa and ASI share similar customer-first business values and follow the same business model when it comes to testing, inspection and certification. By joining the Kiwa family, we’re combining their wide portfolio of accreditations and services (BRC, IFS, FSSC, PrimusGFS, GLOBALG.A.P., Rainforest Alliance, MSC/ASC, Organic/USDA and many others), their global business network and expertise with our client network in farm-to-fork food safety to assist our growing client base in North America even better,” said Charray Williams, CEO of ASI.
“Not only is this merger increasing our notoriety as a historically family-owned operation, it also strengthens ASI being privy to the evolving certification needs of emerging industries. Our accredited CSQ (Cannabis Safety and Quality) standard for the legalized use of cannabis ingredients into (food) products in the US market is an example of us capturing evolving certification needs. We are excited to share these types of cutting-edge insights with the Kiwa team, as well as supporting them globally with our SQF expertise in various countries across the globe, especially in Australia,” said Tyler Williams, CTO of ASI. Tyler Williams will officially succeed Charray Williams as CEO Jan. 1, 2023, and will lead the expansion of Kiwa and ASI in the Food, Feed & Farm sector in North America.
From pre-harvest to retail, ASI offers inspections, accredited certifications, training, consulting, and standards development. Standards covered include various global schemes recognized by the GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) like SQF (the Safe Quality Food Program), and cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practices), cGAP (current Good Agricultural Practices) complimented by custom second-party audits.
Kiwa is investing in ASI’s growth as a new member of the international Kiwa Group, and its global Food, Feed & Farm network. Together, the companies will collaboratively expand their reach and strengthen services both regionally and globally.
“Kiwa already has a strong footprint in the global Food, Feed & Farm sector. With ASI, we significantly expand our reach, expertise and footprint, particularly in the United States of America but certainly with a global perspective. Now that we have welcomed ASI to the Kiwa family, we can better provide our customers with a one-stop shop for food- and feed-related certification services on all continents. The addition will also strengthen our already significant presence in Latin America given its strong connection to the US market. All in all, it ensures a sustainable future for all of us,” said Richard Stolk, Kiwa’s global director for the Food, Feed & Farm sector. Stolk will also be the President of the Board of ASI LLC and will be directly involved in the further growth of ASI.
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