CICS Americas

What CICS Americas does

CICS Americas Inc. is a private, U.S.-incorporated third-party certification body that delivers accredited second- and third-party audits and training across five scheme families: ISO 9001/14001/45001 management systems, SQF food safety, SEMS for offshore oil & gas, SASISOPA for the Mexican hydrocarbons sector, and McDonald's SQMS/GMP. The firm operates as the certification agent of UKAS-accredited Lucideon CICS Limited (UK) in the United States and Mexico, with headquarters in The Woodlands, TX and a regional office in El Marques, Querétaro, supporting bilingual (English/Spanish) delivery to clients ranging from multinational facilities down to small family-owned businesses. Its core technology is a risk-based auditing methodology — explicitly distinguishing a "systems" audit from a "compliance" audit — delivered by handpicked, SQF-registered and ISO/ANAB-accredited auditors, including a same-auditor pre-audit-to-certification continuity practice associated with a 9.5/10 pass rate for pre-audited clients. CICS Americas is the only firm accredited in both the U.S. and Mexico for SEMS (COS ASP #COS-0017) and SASISOPA (ASEA authorized third party), and also holds ANAB Product Certification Body accreditation (#1087) for SQF, recognized by Walmart as an approved certification body for Food Safety and GMP audits in the USA. The business model is professional services: quote-based, proposal-driven pricing scoped per audit (no public rate cards), with revenue from certification audit fees, pre-audit and GAP analysis services, training programs, and recurring annual surveillance and recertification audits. Go-to-market is sales-led and consultative, with dedicated Key Account Managers, per-scheme quote request forms, and field auditors delivering high-touch on-site engagements across the U.S. and Mexico, supported by content marketing, free guides/e-books, and SEO-driven organic traffic.

Name

CICS Americas

Legal name

CICS Americas Inc.

Website

https://cics-americas.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CICS Americas is a private, ANAB-, COS-, and ASEA-accredited certification body delivering third-party audits across ISO, SQF, SEMS, SASISOPA, and McDonald's SQMS standards to food manufacturers and offshore oil and gas operators in the United States and Mexico.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Third-Party Certification Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Safety Auditing & Inspection Services (GFSI/Third-Party Audits) (AFALAAAB)

Keywords

• Third-party certification services
• Food safety auditing
• ISO management systems
• Offshore safety audits
• Accredited certification body

Headquarters

HQ city

The Woodlands

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Third-party certification audit fees: CICS Americas generates the bulk of its revenue from paid certification audits across schemes: ISO 9001, 14001, 45001; SQF (Fundamentals, Food Safety, Food Safety & Quality); SEMS (Safety & Environmental Management System for offshore oil & gas); SASISOPA (Mexican hydrocarbons sector); and McDonald's SQMS / GMP. Pricing is quote-based, scoped per audit and sized by site, complexity, and risks.
2. Pre-audit, GAP analysis and risk assessment services: Standalone paid (or free in specific COVID-era campaigns) pre-audits, GAP analyses, and SQFI risk assessments that prepare clients for certification audits and identify non-conformities ahead of the formal evaluation.
3. Training programs: Training courses on certification standards and management systems (ISO, SQF, SEMS, SASISOPA), governed by Training Terms and Conditions, with subject-matter-expert instructors including the CEO.
4. Annual surveillance and recertification audits: Recurring revenue stream from annual surveillance audits (for ISO and similar) and SQF recertification audits (annual), creating a subscription-like cadence tied to certificate validity periods.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CICS Americas delivers accredited second- and third-party certification audits and pre-audit services across food safety (SQF), management systems (ISO 9001/14001/45001), offshore safety (SEMS), Mexican hydrocarbons safety (SASISOPA), and QSR supplier (McDonald's SQMS/GMP) schemes. Engagements are scoped and priced per audit by handpicked, accredited auditors who perform on-site and remote audits. The firm also delivers scheme-aligned training courses for QA, EHS, and food safety professionals.

Product overview

CICS Americas operates as a portfolio of related third-party certification and audit services rather than a single unified software product. The core offering is expert second- and third-party auditing delivered through a set of scheme-aligned services: ISO Certification (covering ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 with Integrated Management System support), SQF Certification (GFSI-recognized food safety program audits including Fundamentals, Food Safety, and Food Safety and Quality variants), SEMS Certification (Center for Offshore Safety-accredited Safety Environmental Management System audits for Gulf of Mexico offshore operators), SASISOPA Service (Mexico's ASEA-required industrial, operational safety, and environmental protection management system audits for hydrocarbons sector activities), and McDonald's SQMS and GMP (authorized supplier quality audits for McDonald's supply chain). These certification services are complemented by Training Services that support client preparation for each scheme.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ISO Certification Third-party certification to ISO standards covering ISO 9001 (Quality Management System), ISO 14001 (Environmental Management System), and ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety Management System), with support for Integrated Management System audits. Delivered through risk-based audits that focus on the effectiveness of management system controls rather than paperwork compliance.
• SASISOPA Service Certification service for Mexico's Industrial, Operational Safety, and Environmental Protection Management System (SASISOPA) required by ASEA for hydrocarbons sector activities. Covers external auditing, conformance review with SASISOPA reports, implementation program assessment, and root-cause investigation of accidents and incidents for natural gas, LPG, and petroleum operators in Mexico.
• SEMS Certification Third-party Safety and Environmental Management System (SEMS) audit service for offshore oil and gas operators, accredited by the Center for Offshore Safety (COS). Conducts risk-based SEMS audits per 30 CFR Part 250 Subpart S and API RP 75 for Shelf and Deepwater platforms in the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf and Gulf of Mexico, including corrective action verification and COS SEMS Certificate issuance support.
• SQF Certification Safe Quality Food (SQF) certification program assessments recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). Offers three program variants: SQF Fundamentals (Basic and Intermediate GMP), SQF Food Safety (GFSI-recognized), and SQF Food Safety and Quality (GFSI-recognized). Includes pre-assessment, GAP analysis, and recertification audit support for food manufacturers and supply chain operators.
• McDonald's SQMS and GMP Officially authorized third-party audit service for McDonald's Supplier Quality Management System (SQMS) and GMP audits for food product suppliers, verifying compliance with McDonald's supply chain standards for suppliers currently serving or seeking to serve McDonald's.
• Training Services Training programs supporting the ISO, SEMS, SASISOPA, and SQF certification schemes, taught by subject-matter-expert instructors (including the CEO) and governed by Training Terms and Conditions, designed to prepare QA, EHS, food safety, and SEMS professionals for certification audits or build internal auditor competence.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 90% of contacted clients sign a proposal
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Lucideon CICS LimitedflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCICS Americas Inc. is the certification agent of Lucideon CICS Limited in the United States and Mexico. Lucideon and CICS Americas are private companies described as world leaders in certification services, with head offices in Stoke-on-Trent, UK (Lucideon) and Houston, Texas (CICS Americas). Lucideon is accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to perform certification services, which gives CICS Americas-backed ISO certifications UKAS traceability.
• Center for Offshore Safety (COS)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCICS is an approved Audit Service Provider by COS (Certificate #COS-0017) and conducts SEMS audits in accordance with 30 CFR Part 250, Subpart S (§250.1920) and API RP 75. CICS Americas is one of five COS-accredited SEMS ASPs and the only one accredited in both the U.S. and Mexico for SEMS and SASISOPA. CICS Americas audited EnVen and confirmed corrective actions, leading to the COS SEMS Certificate being issued by COS.
• SQF Institute (SQFI)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCICS Americas is an SQF-registered certification body authorized to deliver SQF Fundamentals, SQF Food Safety (GFSI-benchmarked), and SQF Food Safety & Quality audits. CICS follows SQFI's Certificate Extension Policy and performs free risk assessments for SQFI extension requests. SQF Edition 9 codes and related guidance documents are republished on the CICS Americas site for clients.
• ANAB (ANSI National Accreditation Board)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCICS Americas is accredited by ANAB as a Product Certification Body for SQF Certification under Accreditation ID #1087, authorizing it to issue ANAB-accredited SQF certificates to food industry clients.
• ASEA (Agencia de Seguridad, Energía y Ambiente)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCICS Americas is an authorized third party for ASEA's SASISOPA program in Mexico, authorized to conduct external audits, conformance reporting, implementation program evaluation, and root-cause investigations of accidents and incidents for hydrocarbons operators.
• WalmartcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIn the USA, Walmart (the leading retailer) recognizes CICS Americas as an approved certification body for Food Safety and GMP Audits, enabling CICS Americas-certified suppliers to access Walmart's supply chain under the SQF program.
• McDonald's CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCICS Americas is officially authorized to lead third-party audits for McDonald's suppliers under the McDonald's Supplier Quality Management System (SQMS) and GMP audit program, helping suppliers verify compliance with McDonald's supply chain standards.
• API (American Petroleum Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCICS Americas conducts SEMS audits in alignment with API Recommended Practice 75 (Development of a Safety and Environmental Management Program for Offshore Operations and Facilities), which forms the technical basis of the COS SEMS program.
• BSEE (Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCICS Americas aligns its SEMS audits with BSEE's regulatory framework under 30 CFR 250 Subpart S, helping offshore operators satisfy BSEE compliance requirements and avoid penalties of up to $40,000 per day.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• DNV: DNV is one of the dominant providers of offshore SEMS-equivalent audits (e.g., DNV GL ISO 9001/14001/45001 and offshore management system certifications) in the Gulf of Mexico and globally. Most directly comparable to CICS Americas on the SEMS scheme, with comparable position as an accredited ASP and direct overlap on ISO certifications.
• ABS Quality Evaluations: ABS Quality Evaluations is the ISO certification arm of ABS, an offshore classification society, delivering ISO 9001/14001/45001 audits with strong penetration in oil & gas, marine, and process industries. Directly comparable to CICS Americas on ISO certifications for offshore and adjacent industrial customers.
• NSF International: NSF International is a leading GFSI-benchmarked food safety certification body that delivers SQF audits (among other schemes) to food manufacturers and suppliers in the U.S. and globally. Closest direct peer to CICS Americas on the SQF scheme and competes for the same Walmart supplier base.
• Lloyd's Register: Lloyd's Register is a long-standing certification body with deep presence in offshore oil & gas management system auditing (ISO 9001/14001/45001 for offshore operators). Comparable to CICS Americas on SEMS-equivalent offshore work and ISO certifications serving the same Gulf of Mexico and broader offshore operator base.
• Perry Johnson Registrars: Perry Johnson Registrars is a U.S.-based ANAB-accredited ISO certification body with a similar mid-market enterprise profile to CICS Americas. Most directly comparable on ISO 9001/14001/45001 audits for U.S. industrial and services customers.
• Eagle Certification Group: Eagle Certification Group is a U.S.-based, ANAB-accredited ISO 9001/14001/45001 certification body of comparable size to CICS Americas. Closest direct peer on the ISO management system scheme for U.S. mid-market and enterprise clients.

Broad incumbents

• SGS: World's largest TIC company providing ISO management system certification, food safety (FSSC 22000, SQF), and industrial/oil & gas certification services globally. Comparable to CICS Americas across the same five scheme families but with a much broader geographic and service footprint.
• Intertek: Intertek is a global TIC provider offering ISO management system certification, food safety audits (including SQF), and oil & gas industry services. Comparable to CICS Americas on ISO, SQF, and SEMS-equivalent schemes as a broad incumbent serving multinational clients.
• Bureau Veritas: Global testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) leader offering ISO 9001/14001/45001, food safety (GFSI-benchmarked), and offshore certification services across 140+ countries. Direct overlap with CICS Americas' ISO, SQF, and SEMS-equivalent certification lines, though at vastly greater scale and with a bundled service portfolio.
• TÜV SÜD: TÜV SÜD is a major German-origin TIC group offering ISO 9001/14001/45001, food safety, and industrial safety certification across the Americas. Comparable to CICS Americas on ISO and food safety schemes as a broad incumbent with global accreditation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cicsamericas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cics-americas

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CICS Americas