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Certification

Ajmotofx

New Member
I have been researching certification for some time now. I have ran across the Lowen Certification that offers not only test but training classes as well. I was wondering One: Has anyone attended these classes, and if it is worth the money to send employees to get certified. Second: Are there other Certification and training classes that you know of that would help benefit not only myself, but the few people that i do have lend a helping hand...
 

cptcorn

adad
Are you marketing your company to companies that appreciate or require a certification?
 
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Ajmotofx

New Member
the company started off as a side line job for me, my dad owns a off set printing business and i have been around the print industry my whole life. I race motocross and started off doing Custom motorcycle graphics and that was it. One thing led to another and i do less motorcycle graphics, and more of the corporate work for my dad, my company is now a devision of His print shop and we offer everything under one roof...
we are starting to do more and more for his large clients, however they have not said anything about certification nor complained about any installations. Although, I have always felt that having a certification is something that cant hurt even if its never brought up.
 

CheapVehicleWrap

New Member
"Although, I have always felt that having a certification is something that cant hurt even if its never brought up."

Although you may be correct about it not hurting, the real question is will it help you as Cptcrn suggests?
 

Ajmotofx

New Member
"Although, I have always felt that having a certification is something that cant hurt even if its never brought up."

Although you may be correct about it not hurting, the real question is will it help you as Cptcrn suggests?

That is a valid point. And that is what i am not sure of, i guess i should have asked If becoming a certified installer helped anyone else, as far as being able to market your company and assuring clients of your work, and putting their minds at ease because after all a full wrap is not necessarily cheap...

i guess i look at it like Joe the handy man fixing your roof as opposed to a licensed roofer?
 

cptcorn

adad
i guess i look at it like Joe the handy man fixing your roof as opposed to a licensed roofer?

It's not anything like that. I can tell our well known customers we're 3M certified and I can guarantee you they don't care, or know what it means. Now to our customers that request a 3M certified installation, it's invaluable, since we wouldn't have that work. With that said, nobody has walked into our shop asking if we're certified.
 

javila

New Member
That is a valid point. And that is what i am not sure of, i guess i should have asked If becoming a certified installer helped anyone else, as far as being able to market your company and assuring clients of your work, and putting their minds at ease because after all a full wrap is not necessarily cheap...

i guess i look at it like Joe the handy man fixing your roof as opposed to a licensed roofer?

The reason you want a license roofer is because you want someone that can be held accountable for not following proper regulatory codes/laws/etc.

A license vinyl wrapper....well, there's not many laws nor safety concerns at the moment dealing with wraps...so yea, not the same thinmg.
 

UFB Fabrication

New Member
We lost a job that was re occurring work every month because we did not have proper welding certification. Only about a hundred grand loss, no big deal:banghead:
 

Billct2

Active Member
BIG difference between certifed welding and certified vinyl application.So why didn't you get certified, or hire a certified welder?
 

CentralSigns

New Member
Did you say certified or certifiable. Certified just means another expense for sign shops to carry and you'd have to be certifiable to want that. To much of that around, a shops reputation certifies them.
 

UFB Fabrication

New Member
BIG difference between certifed welding and certified vinyl application.So why didn't you get certified, or hire a certified welder?

We have certified welders but they were asking for a specific cert that we did not have that was almost specific to the job. I would guess over a hundred different certs are out for every thing you could dream up. The time it would have taken to meet their needs were days not a month or so that it would have taken to comply. We also could not find a welder with the cert needed. My brother in law is certified to weld underwater on navy ships and subs and did not have it. We have a pretty good guy that is qualified to test for anything welding wise so we have it covered if it comes up again.
 

LowenCertified

New Member
AJ,

Lowen offers both training and certification for vinyl installation of all types. Our testing was developed in conjunction with 3M and is very rigorous. After certification you will be 'Lowen Certified' and will now qualify for Lowen to contract with you for our installation work, which is quite substantial. You will also qualify to become '3M Preferred' which is 3M's new designation for individual installers, not the shop. 3M will be releasing more information on their new designation in the next week or so. Lowen's facility is the only place outside of 3M in St. Paul to obtain the new 3M Preferred designation.

I hope this answers your questions. Visit us at www.lowencertified.com for more info.
 
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