July 10, 2013 - Tech-Con Automation, Burlington, Ontario, becomes the first Canadian systems integrator to achieve the prestigious Certified Robot Integrator designation from the Robotic Industries Association (RIA), the industry’s trade group. “We are delighted to welcome Tech-Con Automation to our growing list of Certified Robot Integrators,” said Jeff Burnstein, President of RIA. “In order to become certified, integrators go through a rigorous process which includes an on-site audit and hands-on testing of key personnel among other important criteria. Based on feedback from the industry, we believe that achieving certification will be valuable to integrators looking to showcase their capabilities and experience to users and suppliers alike.
“Additionally, the program allows integrators to benchmark their own processes against best industry practices, allowing them to identify areas in which they can improve. This also helps the industry by strengthening the overall integrator channel,” Burnstein explained. “We are excited to have achieved the RIA Certified Integrator status and honored to be the first in Canada” states Nino LaDuca, General Manager, Tech-Con. “Our people have worked extremely hard in strengthening our business operations and increasing our technical capabilities.
We believe that these efforts along with the rigorous criteria for achieving and maintaining the Certified Integrator status will continue to recognize Tech-Con as a reliable and capable integrator.” Tech-Con is the fourteenth RIA Certified Robot Integrator. RIA requires each certified integrator to be recertified every two years. Founded in 1974, RIA now represents some 300 robot manufacturers, system integrators, component suppliers, end user, consulting firms, research groups, and educational institutions.
RIA is best known for its biennial Automate Show & Conference (next event slated for March 23-26, 2015 in Chicago); the ANSI/RIA National Robot Safety Standard and annual National Robot Safety Conference (October 14-16, 2013, Indianapolis, IN), and the annual Robotics Industry Forum (January 22-24, 2014, Orlando). The association also provides quarterly robotics statistics and has a content-rich Robotics Online website attracting hundreds of thousands of visits a year from throughout the world. “Robotics customers, of course, still need to conduct their own due diligence on the suppliers they select,” said Burnstein. “RIA cannot guarantee the work of any integrator or recommend which integrators to choose.
We have more than 50 system integrator members and look forward to having more of them go through the certification process in the near future.”