Stamp of approval helps companies compete

AS markets become more competitive, an independently assessed reputation for quality and high standards is an important advantage for companies seeking to attract new business, as well as a guarantee for their clients and customers.
The SGS (Société Générale de Surveillance) group are world leaders in verification, testing and certification services, with a global network of offices, subsidiaries and laboratories, 32,000 employees and a history going back more than 100 years.
SGS provides professional, independent verification and monitoring services for international trade in agricultural, mineral, oil, and consumer products. The group also provides certification and services to governments and international institutions. The SGS brand is recognized as the global benchmark for the highest standards of expertise, quality, and integrity.

ANA PINA TEIXEIRA CEO of SGS Portugal

SGS Portugal began 80 years ago, supervising the loading and unloading of grain in ports. Since then, it has expanded its areas of expertise over the years to provide services to various sectors, in particular the hotel, banking and insurance industries.
It has its own laboratories specializing in agri-foodstuffs, textiles and petrochemicals, and its services have expanded into consultancy on quality and environmental management, accredited tests, technical inspections and audits in diverse areas.
The group includes SGS Qualitest Portugal, which deals with automobile assessment, SGS ICS, providing international certification services, CIAT Portuguesa, providing consultancy and training, and Lodge Services, which has experience in making companies more competitive.
“Our growth markets are certification and consultancy,” says Ana Pina Teixeira, SGS Portugal’s Chief Executive Officer. “Relations between suppliers and clients are changing, and more and more there is a demand for product certification and company certification. Companies are outsourcing their activities, so we have to pay attention to that.”

She notes that businesses are becoming increasingly concerned about their image in terms of social responsibility. “They want someone to say they are complying with legal requirements, with regulations on labor and on sexual discrimination,” she says. “They are eager to show to society that they have policies and are following them through.”
Along with covering the Portuguese mainland, the Azores and Madeira, SGS Portugal manages SGS Cape Verde and SGS Angola, where clients include major oil companies like Texaco and Shell.
It competes with other certification bodies, including foreign companies. “It was a very emergent market a few years ago, so most of the certification bodies came here,” says Ms. Pina Teixeira.

“We are number two in Portugal, and always fighting to be first. We want to be the leaders in agro-alimentation, oil, gas and chemicals, and also in certification. We expect to grow by 6 percent next year, and also to develop SGS Angola,” she adds.
SGS Portugal’s reputation for the highest standards of expertise and integrity is the basis of the high demand for its services, and its clients pay close attention to the findings of its auditors.
“There are companies that have changed quite a lot from one audit to another because they have taken into consideration the observations made and have made efforts to change,” says Ms. Pina Teixeira.