TÜV Rheinland Group — a Germany-based independent certification, testing and assessment agency — is
opening a laboratory in Bentonville, Ark., that will offer testing and certification services for
mainstream consumer products — primarily toys and children’s products and softlines including
apparel, costumes, upholstery and soft home furnishings. The lab also will offer testing of
consumer products for chemical content such as lead, cadmium, heavy metals, phthalates, nickel
release and flame-retardant content, as well as for compliance with Restriction of Hazardous
Substances (RoHS) and Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH),
among other regulations; testing for green compliance; and testing of products such as cosmetics,
jewelry, pet products, and decorative and seasonal items. The Bentonville facility, scheduled to
open March 2, will be TÜV Rheinland’s first North American laboratory for these market segments.
“TÜV Rheinland has more than 130 years of experience in providing testing and certification
services for organizations worldwide for a broad range of products and market segments, however
this new lab provides customized services and support specifically designed for our North American
clients,” said Cheryl Rieser, business development director. “The new Bentonville lab gives our
clients local support, expertise, services and solutions they need to deliver high quality, safe
products to their customers, which is critical in today’s competitive and highly regulated
environment.”
“We are extremely excited about the broad range of testing services we can now conduct here
in the US laboratory, and the sophistication of the equipment with which we can execute them,” said
Wolfgang Kruschak, vice president, Softlines. “We offer state-of-the-art equipment that will allow
us to do things better and faster than ever before, providing a higher level of service that
differentiates us from competitors. For example, our new technology enables us to provide accurate
analysis for lead and cadmium content in seconds, without damaging the product whatsoever. This
minimizes the number of product samples required to perform the analysis and also eliminates
unnecessary destruction and disposal of products. This provides an invaluable service to our
customers, as it reduces both the cost and time to ensure compliance with CPSIA and other safety
regulations mandated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, as well as individual US states and
other countries including Europe and Canada.”
February 15, 2011
