SGS Approved as Exclusive Testing Lab for Walmart, Sam's Club Wireless and Automotive Vendors

FAIRFIELD, N.J., Feb. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Independent testing and verification service provider SGS today announced it has been approved by Walmart Stores Inc. as the exclusive product safety and compliance testing laboratory for all wireless and automotive products sold through Walmart and Sam's Club, both in store and online, for the U.S. market.

Through the arrangement, vendors that supply the thousands of wireless and automotive products for sale at Walmart and Sam's Club will be required to provide products for testing to SGS before they are placed on store shelves or sold online. In addition, SGS will continue to provide testing as an approved laboratory for Walmart and Sam's Club Toys, Seasonal & Celebrations and Juvenile product categories. Suppliers looking to explore relationships with a new testing laboratory may do so during the annual open enrollment period that begins in March.

SGS' globally integrated facilities offer suppliers end-to-end testing and certification services to streamline time to market. Offering a wide range of testing services fully accredited to ISO 17025, GCF and PTCRB certification requirements, the company's Wireless group offers state-of-the-art virtual project management capabilities through its LabSURE® project and laboratory management system that enables simultaneous testing across multiple labs worldwide to ensure precision management of hardware and software validation. SGS recently became the first wireless lab in the US to provide certification for all major cellular technologies under one roof, including CDMA, EVDO, GSM, GPRS, WCDMA and LTE, with the recent certification of its newly expanded San Diego laboratory. New locations in Basking Ridge, NJ and Atlanta, GA provide wireless carrier approval testing and certification of electrical and electronic products for EMC, safety and performance requirements.

SGS' integrated Automotive testing services are trusted by the world's leading automotive manufactures and provide one-stop convenience and efficiency for suppliers of aftermarket automotive components. The company's comprehensive portfolio of certification capabilities spans the entire value chain, from material quality and safety testing to component safety and performance evaluation for interior, exterior and chassis components, electronics and electrical components, tires and oil, gas and chemicals services.

"Our depth of industry experience and history of outstanding performance with Walmart and its vendors has been a key driver in expanding our long-standing relationship to include these new categories," said Rob Parrish, Managing Director of Consumer Testing Services for SGS North America. "We look forward to working with vendors in these categories to deliver the quality products Walmart and Sam's Club customers have come to expect."

SGS provides global accredited testing and certification, inspection and technical services for consumer products companies in the food, textiles, toys, hardware, housewares, formulated products, electrical and electronic goods industries to ensure compliance with quality, safety, regulatory and industry standards, as well as environmental sustainability guidelines.

For information on how to submit products for testing, Walmart and Sam's Club vendors should contact SGS at [email protected] or call 479-273-3778.

About SGS

SGS is the world's leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 70,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 1,350 offices and laboratories around the world.  www.SGS.com

SOURCE SGS