UL and QUATEST3 Sign Alliance Agreement to Develop Furniture Testing and Emissions Laboratory in Vietnam

HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM, October 18, 2016— UL (Underwriters Laboratories), and QUATEST3 (Quality Assurance and Testing Center 3) today announced the signing of an Alliance Agreement to develop a furniture and chemical emissions testing laboratory in Vietnam. The goal of the agreement is to provide a world-class product testing facility and expertise in regulations that will enable Vietnamese furniture manufacturers to expand their business into global markets.

“The Vietnamese furniture market is poised for tremendous global growth and QUATEST3 is an ideal partner for UL to develop a local laboratory,” said Alberto Uggetti, vice president and general manager, UL Environment. “Together we can provide local testing toward certification of products and conformity to regulations, and act as an active bridge between global retailers and local Vietnamese suppliers.”

Under the leadership and management of QUATEST3 who brings extensive knowledge of the Vietnamese furniture market and a skilled workforce, the facility will feature UL’s world-class furniture testing equipment to demonstrate quality, durability and strength. The lab will also feature environmental chambers to test hazardous chemical emissions from furniture, building materials, electronics and formulated products.

“We are pleased to enter into this alliance with UL, who brings globally-recognized expertise in emissions testing and furniture performance testing to support the growth of furniture and related industries in Vietnam,” said Lam Hoang, director of QUATEST3. “The new facility will give local manufacturers an advantage with convenient access to expert testing services, and enable them to gain competitiveness in the global market place.”

The alliance between UL and QUATEST3 will give manufacturers local access to testing in two critical areas: furniture durability and performance testing, which is critically important to demonstrate that products are high quality and meet the needs of the global retail furniture market. The second aspect is chemical emissions testing, which will help manufacturers meet the increasing regulations on chemical exposure from products. UL is a leading authority on chemical emissions testing and regulations including California Air Resources Board (CARB) testing and certification, UL GREENGUARD Certification, and European regulations.

The lab is expected to open in early 2017.