Welcome to the winter 2009 edition of TÜV Service News. 

With a new year, a new President-elect, and a general climate of change in the air, our commitment is to continue to add value and to support your business as a stable partner you can rely on even in tough economic times.

The end of 2008 marks the official completion of my first year as CEO and President for TÜV SÜD America NAFTA-wide operations.  It has been a privilege to partner with our customers, and at the same time a year of significant developments and continued growth at TÜV SÜD America.  TÜV SÜD's NAFTA and global staff remain dedicated to providing our customers with more market-oriented, customized solutions than ever before. 

The articles in this TÜV Service News edition highlight the many developments since the last newsletter edition for our core service areas of Auditing, Testing, Industry and Inspection.

For Auditing services, I encourage you to read Quality updates, including the ISO/IEC 17021 Requirement for Certification Bodies, as well as details about the transition to ISO 9001:2008 and how to best prepare for your re-certification. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) have agreed on an implementation plan to ensure a smooth transition of accredited certification to ISO 9001:2008 now officially published.  ISO 9001:2008 will replace the ISO9001:2000 version of the standard. Register today for all the information required in an easy, affordable fashion through TÜV SÜD Academy's online seminars. 

Also new, TÜV SÜD America Inc. now provides EN 15038 certification, the European Quality Standard for Translation Services. The addition of this service demonstrates TÜV SÜD America's ongoing commitment to be a Management Systems Registrar that delivers solutions to help companies continuously improve their internal performance.

For Testing Services, I am pleased to announce several new developments. In late September 2008, TÜV SÜD America doubled its number of Testing Standards, now offering product testing on over 140 UL/ANSI standards. Recognized by OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL), TÜV is capable of performing electrical safety certification to North American requirements for Medical Devices, Machinery, IT Equipment and Laboratory Test & Measurement Equipment. Read the full article.

Additionally, we have expanded our testing services in Canada. With TÜV SÜD Canada now under 100 percent ownership by TÜV SÜD America Inc. and with headquarters relocated to Guelph, Ontario, this reorganization and relocation will help the corporation meet our clients' current and future requirements.

Also new for Testing customers, read the related article on Metallurgical Testing capabilities.

Despite some serious damage from Hurricane Gustav and Ike our PetroChem Inspection Services group has been rolling out a suite of new services. Read about Helium Leak Mass Spectrometer Testing (MSLT), which was added to PetroChem's service line in June 2008. As a complement to the full-service Tank Inspection Service Line, MSLT can provide additional assurance that tank bottom welds and/or plates are liquid-tight prior to returning the tank to service, or click here, to read the full article.

On the Industry Services side, TÜV SÜD, as one of the leading auditing companies in the carbon business, has developed the web-based BlueRegistry (www.blue-registry.com) database to facilitate the exchange of voluntary carbon credits (VER) and green energy certificates between different counterparts and registries, as well as to include information on aspects such as credit-type and vintage. Read more about BlueRegistry and about TÜV's Carbon Management Services.

Remember TÜV SÜD Academy Training offers continuous training opportunities in a variety of convenient formats - from Live to On Demand webinars, Lunch & Learns and whitepapers.  Lunch & Learns are designed to offer real-life, valuable information, and enable attendees to gain a better perspective on national and international safety, EMC and regulatory issues.  Read the new Machinery White Paper or other TÜV SÜD America whitepapers.

On behalf of the TÜV team, I wish you a successful start to this new year, and look forward to our continued service to you in 2009.

Karsten Xander
CEO and President - TÜV SÜD America Inc.