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Westwood Laboratories, Where Premium Service is Second Nature
Westwood Laboratories has been making its mark within the private label, personal care products industry since 1948. As a contract manufacturer of liquid-based personal care products, from cosmetic, skin, hair, sun, bath, and body care products to men’s personal care and pet care products, Westwood Laboratories originally invested in BatchMaster in the mid-90s to run their business more efficiently. Ownership of the product was moved to Sage in 2003, and about a decade later, Sage retired PFW accounting and, with it, an older version of BatchMaster used by Westwood Laboratories.
BatchMaster Software came to the rescue with the next-generation solution, BatchMaster Enterprise, which was integrated into Sage 300 ERP financials. Westwood then moved to BatchMaster Enterprise with Sage 300 ERP. Through their focus on advanced formulations and excellent customer service, Westwood Labs is a leader in the industry and was in fact voted“ Best Green Company to Work for and Best Overall Company to Work for Awards,” given by the LA News Group Winning Workplaces poll in 2014. (More on this later.) “There are several attributes that make Westwood Laboratories unique,” shared Cheryl Kohorst, CFO at Westwood Labs. “We are FDA licensed, so we follow all the protocols required for this license. We also employ staff that has longevity in the industry. We tap into this experience and expertise and then offer our customers the highest level of customer service available and the most advanced formulations through our R&D lab, which employs BatchMaster’s advanced formulation capabilities,” explains Kohorst.
BatchMaster Enterprise plays a key role in helping Westwood maintain their strategic advantage. “In order to be FDA compliant, we track inventory lot detail for every inventory item we receive into the plant,” remarks Brian Surpia, IT Director at Westwood Laboratories. “In addition, we keep detailed records of all QC testing and results. BatchMaster tracks all QC details from inventory receipt to finished goods production. And when the FDA conducts an audit, they want to see how we are managing QC results. BatchMaster lets us demonstrate all the details of inventory and production QC history,” states Surpia. “The consolidation of our internal lot tracking number, vendor lot number along with PO receipt control number and receipt date onto one report has helped us eliminate the tedious tracking of this related information,” Surpia professed. “The potential within BatchMaster is limitless, and we are confident that BatchMaster will allow us to adapt to new FDA requirements in the future.”
As a leader in product development and quality manufacturing, Westwood Laboratories has also emerged as an environmentally conscious business, with its 100,000 square-foot Azusa facility being retrofitted in 2010 and now running 100% solar-powered (recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council). “It was important to Westwood to be a positive force within our community and as a global organization. We recognize the value of our customers, community, and environment, and becoming greener is one way we can give back,” shared Tony de Vos, President of Westwood Laboratories. Read more about this unique solar-powered manufacturing facility at www.westwoodlabs.com/responsibility.aspx
