In January, IWR North America became the first glazing contractor of 2021 to successfully achieve certification to the standards set by the North American Contractor Certification Program. The NACC is the glazing industry’s only third-party, ANSI-accredited recognition of glazing contractors who consistently adhere to program requirements for quality and safety excellence.
This achievement is attained by undergoing an extensive, multi-day evaluation process during which compliance to industry-established guidelines must be demonstrated. Having successfully done so, IWR has joined the growing ranks of glazing contractors who recognize the value of quality and safety differentiation that NACC Certification establishes. “For many years the glazing industry has been seeking a means to identify qualified glazing contractors,” says Michael Smalley, director of business development for IWR. “The NACC appears to have met this objective.”
Headquartered in St. Louis, IWR North America is one of the longest-standing contractors in the nation, specializing in building enclosures since 1895. Today, IWR services clients and communities nationwide with multiple office locations. “We had two objectives for pursuing NACC certification,” Smalley says. “To gain tools for IWR to improve certain aspects of our business, and to align the company with a program that we believe will make our industry better, now and in the future.”
When speaking of the evaluation process, Smalley says, “The program assessors had a genuine and vested interest in helping us take an honest look at ourselves. Their experience and vast knowledge of the glass and glazing industry was refreshing and helpful throughout the assessment process.”
“As a result of the processes and procedures needed for certification, we’ve seen increased effectiveness in communication, documentation and workflow,” Smalley says. “All of which we expect will eventually be recognized on the bottom line.”
NACC Certification is now an installer qualification requirement for a number of glazing, fenestration and building envelope categories within Division 8 of the MasterSpec specification template. In addition, the Architectural Glass and Metal Technician personnel certification program for glaziers’ is also included within the installer qualifications. Ben Beeler with the NACC Certification Program says, “The NACC installer qualification requirement has appeared in over 200 specifications in just the last 90 days; and this number is growing.”
When asked about MasterSpec, Smalley says, “Their recognition of the NACC Certification, and IWR having achieved certification, arms our contractors in ensuring their clients that they are entering into a partnership with a firm dedicated to quality and the execution of professionally installed projects.”
In order to simplify understanding of the major requirements of the certification program, the NACC is offering virtual workshops on several elements of quality management and safety at no charge for glazing contractors seriously considering certification. “These workshops take the mystery out of creating a workable and manageable quality management system,” Beeler says. “And they bring to light the true value of such a system, and the NACC is a vehicle for differentiating the glazing contractors who recognize this value.”
Over 60 workshops have been conducted to 20 plus contractors and associations in the past nine months. Regarding the need for a quality management system, Beeler says, “The days of believing that what you are doing is good enough are behind us.”
