Glusburn-based Ellison Holdings has become the first European circlip company and only the second in the world to receive QS 9000 quality certification.

Managing director Simon Ellison says: "QS 9000 is a quality standard for the motor industry instigated in the United States by the Big Three manufacturers - Ford, General Motors and Chrysler.

"It is becoming more and more of a pre-requisite if you want to do business in the motor industry world wide, and we can't afford to under-estimate how important it is.

"Our certification is already opening lots of doors into the world-wide industry, and we have set up a project aimed at getting us into the US market, but we needed this accreditation first.

"We feel extremely positive about it. It is another case of Ellisons leading the way," he says.

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