NASC Tweaks Preferred Supplier Program to Provide Additional Member Benefits

NASC reworked its Preferred Supplier Program to better assist its members with the auditing process and provide benefits both financially and logistically.

The objective is to provide quality suppliers with complete company profiles and supporting documentation NASC members can use to accept raw material suppliers, contract manufacturers, analytical laboratories and service providers as vendors. NASC members may receive discounts from preferred suppliers on testing services and insurance, which can be found on the preferred supplier section of the NASC website.

Other program objectives include:

•        Allow NASC members to easily purchase ingredients, as well as select contract manufacturers, products and services from preferred suppliers without requiring each supplier to fill out individual forms for every NASC member company; 

•        Structure the program so it is "bullet proof" and will stand the scrutiny of any audit; 

•        Highlight, feature and differentiate quality supply chain partners; and 

•        Provide an opportunity for more involvement by preferred suppliers with NASC and NASC members. 

Programs and forms have been developed with input from preferred suppliers and NASC members leveraging information used in the human dietary supplement industry. All forms have been specifically modified to provide information unique to the animal supplement industry. Completed forms are posted on the NASC website for all NASC Members to download; this means companies can accept and qualify a supplier based on the documents posted in the Preferred Supplier section of the website. Suppliers can also offer webinars for NASC members on important topics for continuing education to help the industry and, ultimately, the animals. 

Each preferred supplier has its own webpage accessible in the members-only section of the NASC website. All suppliers must qualify for acceptance into the program. Quality audits, certificates, testing results and other information, along with detailed company profiles, are posted on the NASC website.

NASC will also host its 2015 annual conference focused on sales, marketing, branding, initiatives, education and increasing recognition of the NASC seal, in Palm Springs, California, May 5 to 8.