Sukup Manufacturing Co

Sukup Manufacturing Co. is the world’s largest family-owned and operated manufacturer of grain storage, grain drying and handling equipment, and steel buildings. The company is headquartered in Sheffield, Iowa, and covers 1,000,000 sq. ft. of office, manufacturing and warehouse space. The company employs more than 600 people, making it one of the largest employers in North Central Iowa. Three generations of the family are active in the business.

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Written by: Alcumus
16th June

Sukup Manufacturing Co. has been certified by Alcumus ISOQAR for meeting standards of the ISO 9001:2015 quality assurance program

This certification, which the organisation was awarded in late January following a three-day audit earlier that month, confirms that the company has the personnel, organisation, procedures and equipment to consistently meet management system requirements for the “Manufacture of Grain Silos, Steel Buildings, Support Structures and Tower Dryers, including ladders, platforms and handrails”. It’s one more thing that sets us apart from our competition,” said Jason Arndt, sales manager for Sukup Manufacturing. He added that Sukup is one of only a few bin manufacturers to achieve the certification.

"This certification highlights our commitment to putting the customer first and placing a top priority on continuous improvement."

Steve Sukup, president and Chief Executive Officer of Sukup Manufacturing Co.

The three-day audit was performed by Graham Thorpe, senior lead auditor for Alcumus ISOQAR.
Thorpe inspected areas at Sukup including welding procedures, instrument calibration, maintenance records, employee training records, structural support calculations, shop floor conditions, material traceability and truck driver certifications.

ISO 9001 is the international standard for quality management systems (QMS). More than one million of the world’s top organisations use the ISO 9001 QMS. It certifies that a business has a strong commitment to providing quality products.

The audit also provides a framework to improve business practices by eliminating waste, cutting costs and improving morale and efficiency, said Ben Furleigh, quality manager at Sukup Manufacturing. The certification process and quality management system upgrade can also identify risks and either eliminate or mitigate them.

Being certified shows that a company follows best international practices and can be a trusted business partner. The certification helps companies get on preferred supplier lists, and is often a requirement when seeking new customers, especially when bidding for work with larger organisations or the public sector.

Andy Schmitt, supply chain manager for Sukup Manufacturing, credited the company’s international sales team for initiating the push last year for ISO 9001 certification to help with sales in Latin America. Schmitt is one of five third-generation members of the Sukup family who are involved daily in the company.ISO 9001 was first published in 1987 by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), an international agency composed of the national standards bodies of more than 160 countries. The current version of ISO 9001 was released in September 2015.

About Sukup Manufacturing Co.

Sukup’s product line includes on-farm and commercial grain bins; portable, mixed-flow and tower dryers; centrifugal and axial fans and heaters; stirring machines; bin unloading equipment and bin floors and supports. Sukup also manufactures material handling equipment including bucket elevators, conveyors and support structures; and steel buildings.

Sukup has six distribution centres in the Midwest. Sukup products are sold throughout the U.S. and Canada, and in more than 80 other countries.