New quality mark for more than 170 Irish companies

MORE than 170 companies have signed up to a new quality mark aimed at assuring customers and suppliers that Irish businesses meet the highest standards of service and trust.

Firms such as Kuehne + Nagel, Big Red Cloud, inset, Portwest, Greyhound Recycling and Comfort Keepers have earned the All-Ireland Business AllStar accreditation — an independently verified standard mark for indigenous businesses based on rigorous selection criteria.

The accreditation is overseen by the All-Ireland Business Foundation whose adjudication panel is chaired by Dr Briga Hynes of the Kemmy Business School at the University of Limerick and Kieran Ring, CEO of the Global Institute of Logistics. “This accreditation is needed by the thousands of small and medium firms out there who operate to their own standards, but have nothing to measure them by,” said Hynes.

“It provides very important credible and transparent benchmarking that hasn’t been available up to now, allowing companies to very clearly understand where they are versus their competitors.

“In a six-week process, we evaluate a company’s background, trustworthiness and performance, and we speak to customers, employees and vendors. We also anonymously approach the company as a customer and report back on the experience.”