HOUSTON, TX - After a rigorous audit, which included an administrative review and field audit, Blastco today became the first contractor to earn accreditation from the NACE International Institute Contractor Accreditation Program (NIICAP).

NIICAP is an industry‐designed and managed program focused on contractors involved with professional project management and project performance in the surface preparation and coating or lining application industry; it was created in response to demand for an alternative to other coatings contractor accreditation programs.  

“The safety and quality of our work is our top priority at Blastco,” said Jay Soper, vice president of Blastco, a TF Warren Company. “Attaining the most demanding and trusted accreditation and certifications offered in the industry is the best way to set ourselves apart from – and above – our competitors. We are proud to not only meet the highest standards set by the industry leader, but especially to be the first company to do so.”  

The NIICAP program board of directors is mainly composed of project owners. However, coatings contractors also get a voice through the contractor committee, which enables the new accreditation program to be the first to bridge the gap between what asset owners are seeking and what coatings contractors provide.  

“The NACE International Institute is known for its thorough and unparalleled qualification programs,” said Chris Fowler, president of NACE International Institute. “The institute is leading the way in developing the best programs to improve and mitigate the costly—and sometimes catastrophic—effects of corrosion. NIICAP is an essential part of this organization’s important work.”

By earning the NIICAP seal, contractors verify that they are fully qualified to perform the best and latest in coatings preparation, application and inspection techniques and practices. For owners, this translates to better quality, increased savings and reduced risks.

“As a facility owner representative, I find that industry‐wide certification programs are an important tool for instituting quality in a maintenance program,” said Johnnie Miller, lab and materials engineer for the Texas Department of Transportation. “By providing a vehicle through which the contracting community can be vetted for competence, programs like NIICAP help to ensure facility owners that the contractor hired to do the work is both capable and incentivized to do it properly. This is especially true for owners dealing with a low‐bid award environment.”