Located near Amway’s World Headquarters complex in Ada, Michigan, the Chemical Quality Assurance Lab is vital to the process of ensuring high quality products each and every time they are produced.
“We put Amway’s products to the test,” says QA Lab Supervisor Kalee Olthoff. “We have a highly trained team of scientists who are performing rigorous chemical testing on not only our finished products but our raw materials to ensure the safety, quality and efficiency.”
The QA Lab performs 11,500 tests per month on average, from some 2,000 samples, which are collected from various stages in the production process. The lab features highly-trained scientists, researchers and technicians from around the world, each with their own unique skill set and area of expertise.
The Chemical Quality Assurance Lab tests the quality of materials before being used, while being produced and before the products are sent to market. Tests range from very sophisticated chemical analysis performed using the latest technology, to very basic human taste testing, done by specially trained testers.
Consumable products also have to look and smell right, too, so the lab features special work stations designed to make those tests as effective as possible, like a color booth, where they make sure Artistry cosmetics are made in exactly the right color shade, and will look that way no matter what type of light and time of day you see them in.
“What’s amazing about Amway is that one of the first things out of a customer’s or Amway Business Owner’s mouth is the product quality, and the high product quality that they expect,” says Kevin DeBruyn, Lab Supervisor.
“So there’s really a trust that they place in Amway when they order that product or they’re selling that product and so really the work that’s done here each and every day around the clock ensures that quality. We’re testing all those components that are safe and pure, and really that first experience that an ABO or a new customer may have with our product—we’re right there at that point making sure that product is delivered the way it’s intended to.”
Product quality is something we often take for granted. So the next time you open a tube of Glister, take your daily Double-X, or apply your favorite Artistry lip color, you can think about who had a role in making sure that product came to be just what you would expect.
At the heart of the Amway business lies the millions of business owners and customers all around the world who have grown to trust that the products they buy and sell are the highest quality. A company’s reputation relies heavily on whether its products can be trusted, and that’s especially true for a direct-selling company like Amway.
This article is part of a new WHQ News series, which reports on the people who stand behind every product sold, from Artistry to XS energy drinks. We’ll be shining a short spotlight on the various employee groups who work behind the scenes to support our business owners and customers.
