The team at the Cork facility of world leading surface preparation experts Wheelabrator Group have polished off two internationally renowned quality standards.

Based in Cobh Cross, Carrigtwohill, the team, from the group's specialist shot peening facility, Impact Finishers, now boasts ISO 9001:2000 and AS9100 accreditations for their sub-contract services.

These distinctions, assessed by British standards body BSI Global, set out a quality management framework, which, once implemented, certified and maintained, ensures a consistent, high level of service for customers.

Achieving ISO 9001:2000 means companies using the Impact Finishers team's services can be confident of receiving a consistently exemplary service, including attention to detail and informative communications. The AS9100 accolade focuses on quality measures for the complex and highly regulated requirements of the aerospace industry.

Christian Tyroll, quality manager for Impact Finishers, headed the team's three-month accreditation campaign along with Cork branch manager Franck Petit-Renaud, which culminated in successful assessments at the first attempt.

Mr Tyroll said: "We're delighted to have received these accreditations. We pride ourselves in the quality of our sub-contract services and these endorsements are an official stamp of approval on the way we work. "By bringing our newest site - opened last year - in line with our established UK Impact Finishers facilities in Slough and Coventry, customers in Britain and Ireland have the flexibility to use the most appropriate location for their needs, while receiving the superior standard of service they have become accustomed to." Impact Finishers serves the automotive, aerospace and medical industries, as well as the power generation and petrochemical plant sectors. Subcontracting to them allows customers to concentrate on their core activities, reduce bottlenecks and handle erratic production runs.