Cortney stands in front of a collection of her grandfather’s locks and keys in the showroom of the company her father founded.
As Anderson Lock enters its sixth year of certification by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council* (WBENC), we pause to reflect upon the benefits of meeting the (almost overwhelming) certification requirements.
Government agencies, and hundreds of national corporations, are diversifying their supplier base, ensuring that a certain percentage of their purchasing contracts go to women-owned businesses. This market is eager to find reliable WBE’s to work with.
WBE Certification is similar to the UL seal of approval for electric appliances: The business has been “tested” and gives the purchaser comfort that not only does a woman have the majority ownership and control of the company, but also that she has successfully submitted paperwork, has met with auditors on site, and has demonstrated her capability to meet deadlines and contract demands.
After assuming ownership of the locksmith company her father founded, Cortney Anderson Wascher successfully expanded its service and sales offerings to include doors, frames and electronic access controls. Then, after researching the value of WBE certification in the competitive construction industry, she successfully met the legal, economic and procedural framework required for WBENC certification. Cortney is proud to announce re-certification, valid through January 31, 2019, assuring continued partnerships with current customers and opening doors of opportunity with new government agencies and corporations that seek diversification of their supplier base.
*The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), founded in 1997, is the largest third-party certifier of businesses owned, controlled, and operated by women in the United States. WBENC, a national 501(c)(3) non-profit, partners with 14 Regional Partner Organizations to provide its world class standard of certification to women-owned businesses throughout the country.