The St Louis, MO facility of Paulo Products Company has successfully passed the upgrade audit and has been awarded accreditation to ISO/TS 16949:2002. Created by the International Automotive Task Force (IATF), ISO/TS 16949:2002 represents the technical standard requirements of the major automotive manufacturers around the world. What sets ISO/TS 16949:2002 apart from the previous ISO and QS standards is the requirement to continually measure, monitor, and improve, with an emphasis on preventing defects and reducing waste throughout the supply chain. In addition to this recent quality system upgrade, Paulo?St Louis is approved to the Ford HTX standard and has received the Ford ?Preferred Supplier Award?. Bob Innes, Quality Manager for Paulo ? St Louis, states "Our effort was truly cross functional and people enjoyed the involvement and the challenge. Achieving ISO/TS 16949:2002 requires dedication and commitment throughout the organization and the benefits will be realized by both Paulo and its customers". Paulo?St Louis is the third Paulo facility to become accredited to ISO/TS 16949:2002. Paulo?Nashville, TN and Paulo?Murfreesboro, TN received accreditation to ISO/TS 16949:2002 in 2005. Other Paulo facilities are currently working toward receiving the ISO/TS 16949:2002 upgrade.