From Reactive to Proactive: Redefining Safety Standards in the Promotional Industry (A Four-Part Series)
Right now, though, the obligation falls on suppliers to know who they’re doing business with. “You need to be aware of and informed regarding your manufacturer’s quality-control process, and their compliance ratings with those processes,” added Brian Smith, chief operating officer at Cleveland distributor Proforma. In turn, each distributor must be cognizant of what its suppliers are doing to uphold the virtues of quality and safety. And it’s not as simple as including it in purchase orders. Marla Kaye, president of You-Name-It Promotions—the distributor involved in the recent California recall—gave a disturbing caveat on that front. She maintained she included the stipulation that products must meet California’s Proposition 65 guidelines in her purchase order, yet somehow that did not occur. Clearly, words and contracts are not enough.