Daily News
From Home Furnishing Business
E.S. Kluft & Company Earns Certification for Manufacturing Facilities
October 12,
2026 by Karen Parrish in Business Strategy, Industry 
E.S. Kluft & Company has earned ISO 45001 certification for its manufacturing facilities in California, Texas and Pennsylvania, reinforcing its commitment to employee health, safety and well-being. The internationally recognized standard provides a framework for protecting workers and managing occupational health and safety risks.
“Our goal was not simply to earn a certification, but to build a lasting culture of safety that supports employee well-being, improves morale and retention, drives quality and continuous improvement, and enhances operational efficiency throughout our organization,” said Jon Stowe, Managing Director of E.S. Kluft & Company.
An ambitious collaborative approach
E.S. Kluft launched its ISO 45001 certification initiative in January 2026 with the goal of certifying all three U.S. manufacturing plants by August 2026. Because all three plants had to meet the standard, a shortfall at any location would prevent the organization from receiving certification.
The initiative quickly became a coordinated, cross-functional effort involving representatives from multiple departments and key leaders throughout the organization.
The team reached several important milestones during the certification process, including:
- Partnering with an external consultant to establish foundation of the Occupational Health and Safety Management System, including procedures, forms, metrics and documentation.
- Transferring full ownership to the internal team by March 2026 as its expertise and confidence grew.
- Appointing a corporate ISO project leader to coordinate efforts across all facilities.
- Training internal auditors to assess readiness and support continuous improvement.
- Holding team members accountable for deliverables while encouraging broad participation and collaboration
“A significant factor in the project's success was the engagement of the entire workforce,” said Manny Martinez, VP of Operations, E.S. Kluft & Company. “We introduced organization-wide safety training, continuous communication and awareness campaigns, a safety incentive program and daily Gemba walks – where our leaders visit the front lines to observe and collaborate, getting first-hand experience on how work really happens. This helps to support teams, identify strengths and opportunities for improvement, and make more informed decisions.”
In addition, the company’s safety policy was displayed at each facility and signed by employees as a visible commitment to a safe workplace.
Following internal readiness reviews and coordinated certification audits, E.S Kluft was recommended for certification in August 2026 and officially received ISO 45001 certification on September 10, 2026.
A commitment to safety culture and operational excellence
ISO 45001 certification represents more than compliance with an international standard. It reflects E.S. Kluft’s commitment to protecting employees, building a proactive safety culture, and advancing sustainable operational excellence at every manufacturing facility.
“This certification validates the systems, leadership, employee involvement and teamwork that united our facilities around a common goal,” said Stowe. “It gives us a strong foundation to reduce risk, sustain high safety standards and support continuous improvement and long-term business growth.”