TUV SUD expands its service portfolio in China

HONG KONG, Oct. 31, 2012/PRNewswire/ -- TUV SUD has broadened its service offering in China by acquiring Sercura Limited, a boutique global inspection and auditing company. Headquartered in Hong Kong, Sercura specializes in pre-shipment inspections (PSIs) and factory audits (social compliance, technical and security) employing about 200 staff in 17 countries.

China is the world's biggest producer of consumer products. In recent years, increasingly strict regulations in the target markets in Europe and North America have prompted a steady rise in the demand for end-to-end inspection and monitoring along the supply chain and stricter control of working conditions. "Sercura's services in this area ideally complement our current portfolio of services in China", said Dirk Eilers, member of the Board of Management of TUV SUD AG. "The acquisition will enable us to meet our clients' demands even more effectively in the future, control compliance with social standards throughout the entire supply chain and carry out flexible and on-time pre-shipment inspections to check goods intended for export before they are shipped."

TUV SUD's Product Service Division assists companies in launching their products on international markets. 3,000-plus staff throughout the world looks after a wide variety of products – industrial electronics and tools, household appliances and textiles, and medical devices as well. They are familiar with the laws, regulations and standards that products must comply with to obtain approval on the various markets. In China, the international service group has representations at all important economic centres. "We have continuously expanded our presence here over the past ten years", said Dirk von Wahl, CEO of TUV SUD China. "The acquisition of Sercura will now permit us to improve our services further, offering our clients one-stop solutions."

Sercura specializes in second and third party pre-shipment inspections – which are an essential element of supply-chain monitoring. The specialist service provider primarily focuses on companies operating in the toys, hardlines, health and beauty industries. In the field of social compliance, Sercura specializes in Code of Conduct (CoC) audits, working directly for British, American and Australian retailers and their major suppliers who are sourcing in China and across Asia. "As a company of the TUV SUD Group, we can now offer our clients a far wider range of services", emphasizes Christopher Riley, Managing Director of Sercura Limited. "I am convinced that our clients will benefit from this expanded service portfolio and that Sercura will make a valuable contribution to TUV SUD's continued successful development in China in the future."

Further information about TUV SUD's services can be found at www.tuev-sued.de and www.tuv-sud.com. For information about TUV SUD China go to www.tuv-sud.cn

Note for editorial staff: The photo of Member of the TUV SUD Board of Management Dirk Eilers can be downloaded in printable resolution from the "Media Photos" category www.tuev-sued.de/pressefotos.

Media Relations:

TUV SUD is an international leading technical service organization catering to the INDUSTRY, MOBILITY and CERTIFICATION Segment. The experts and technology consultants are dedicated partners in their clients' processes, offering comprehensive industry expertise throughout the entire value chain. They focus their services on their core competencies of consulting, testing, certification and training. Over 17,000 employees are committed to optimizing technology, systems and know-how at over 800 locations in Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific and Africa. Further information is available at www.tuev-sued.de.