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LAYKOLD - 2020 YEAR IN REVIEW NEWS & STORIES | 46 | THE EVOLUTION OF THE COURT FIND OUT WHAT ISO CERTIFICATION MEANS AND WHY IT MATTERS TO THE SPORTS SURFACE INDUSTRY APRIL 8, 2020 A QUESTION OF VALUE 'What's the best way of doing this?' In a nutshell, this is the question that the International Organization for Standardization or ISO was created to answer. So, in its most simple terms, only the companies who are able to answer this question through demonstrable processes which are independently audited, can achieve this world-recognised mark of quality and trust. While the question sounds simple, the process of achieving ISO certification and the value it drives is multifaceted. Here we explore what certification really means and why it matters to the sports surface industry. GUARANTEED QUALITY, SAFETY, EFFICIENCY As an independent, non-governmental, not-for-profit, body, the ISO pools expertise from a wide range of proprietary, industrial and commercial standard organizations to develop global standards. The international standards it develops, give independent, world- class specifications for services and systems to ensure quality, safety and efficiency. CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT In order to achieve certification, companies need to commit to the standards set by the ISO and the management systems needed to meet these standards. This is verified via independent third-party audits and the process is thorough and continual. Companies with the certification cannot rest on their laurels. They are routinely audited to ensure ongoing compliance with the defined standards and as those standards evolve and the bar is raised, organizations must upgrade their processes and re-certify to the latest version of the standard. ISO certification, therefore, isn't a one-off tick-box exercise. It isn't just a nice proof point for the marketing team to communicate. It ensures that quality is part of a company's DNA – from its planning to its performance evaluation and everything in between. THE MOST ADVANCED PROCESSES IN THE WORLD Laykold, manufactured by APT, is the only tennis courts brand made in the USA & Australia at ISO certified factories. APT is certified for ISO 9001 Quality Management and ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems. But what does this actually mean? ISO 9001:2015 - A Mark of Quality As an ISO 9001 accredited company, APT and Laykold achieve consistency by following proven processes. This removes the risk of variation and provides product consistency. Our ISO procedures require us to: • Adhere to ISO accredited manufacturing with strict control on process, formulation, and approved suppliers • Carry out 100% final inspection and testing on all batches of product according to strict acceptance criteria before the product can be packaged and distributed • Quality control checking includes color (delta E), viscosity, specific gravity, % solids, pH, and physical properties • Assign specific batch numbers to products for traceability of the batch and its documentation ISO 14001:2015 – A Mark of Sustainability The ISO 14001 environmental standard helps organizations to find solutions to the big global challenges surrounding environmental stewardship. Combined with the Quality Management System certification, it enables transparency about products and best practices for limiting their impacts. Our ISO 14001:2015 certification means that we are able to: • minimize how our operations negatively affect the environment • comply with and go beyond applicable laws, regulations, and other environmentally oriented requirements continually improve our environmental practices and technology continued

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