Pillar Management

What Pillar Management does

Pillar Management Associates (PMA), founded in 1997 and headquartered in Lexington, South Carolina, is a privately held professional services firm specializing in ISO management system training and consulting. Co-founded and co-owned by Frank Degar (President) and Carol (Whinham) Robinson, Ph.D. (Vice President), PMA delivers Exemplar Global-certified Lead Auditor and Internal Auditor training programs across ISO 9001 (Quality), ISO 14001 (Environmental), ISO 45001 (Occupational Health & Safety), IATF 16949 (Automotive), ISO 50001 (Energy), AS9100 (Aerospace), ISO 27001 (Information Security), and ISO 22001 (Food Safety). The firm has trained over 10,000 Lead Auditors and assisted over 2,500 organizations in achieving and maintaining certification since inception, leveraging a team of credentialed instructors (IRCA-certified, RABQSA-accredited, Exemplar Global-certified) and its involvement in establishing three ANAB Accredited Certification Bodies.

The core product is structured lead auditor and internal auditor training delivered through two primary channels: public open-enrollment courses scheduled across 20+ U.S. cities (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, Orlando, Nashville, Denver, Milwaukee, and others) priced at $1,595–$1,695 per participant, and on-site corporate training delivered at client locations. The Jump Start© Consulting Program extends the offering into structured implementation engagements, delivering fully documented ISO management systems ready for third-party certification within 3–4 months via on-site, distance, or blended delivery. Underlying capabilities include proprietary curricula certified under the Exemplar Global Training Provider Examination Certification Scheme, covering competency units QM, EM, AU, TL, OH-45001, and QM-Automotive.

PMA's go-to-market is primarily direct-to-consumer, with its public website and per-standard training calendars serving as the top-of-funnel channel, supplemented by email/phone outreach and organic social sharing. Customer segmentation is horizontal — spanning manufacturing, service, and government organizations of 2 to over 5,000 employees — as well as individual quality and audit professionals pursuing Exemplar Global credentials. The firm has no external investment, operates as a lean founder-led boutique, and generates revenue through per-participant course fees plus multi-day consulting engagements, with consulting pricing not publicly disclosed.

Name

Pillar Management

Legal name

Pillar Management Associates

Website

https://pillarassociates.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Pillar Management Associates, founded in 1997 and based in Lexington, South Carolina, is a privately held ISO management system training and consulting firm. It delivers Exemplar Global-certified Lead Auditor training across ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, IATF 16949, and other standards to manufacturing, service, and government organizations seeking third-party certification.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

ISO Management Systems Training and Consulting

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Management Consulting Services (54161), Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

EHS Management Systems & ISO Consulting (ISO 14001/45001) (BPAHAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Audit, Inspection & Quality Compliance (Internal Auditing, CAPA) (EDABAKAN), Certification Support (Stage 1/2) & External Audit сопровождение (EUAHAIAF), ISO 14001 Gap Assessment & Readiness (EUAHAIAA)

Keywords

• ISO management training
• Lead auditor certification
• ISO consulting services
• Quality management systems
• Internal auditor training

Headquarters

HQ city

Lexington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Lead Auditor Training Courses: Public and on-site lead auditor training courses for ISO standards, priced per participant. Public courses are held in cities across the United States at published price points.
2. Internal Auditor Training Courses: Internal auditor training courses delivered on-site or through distance/blended formats for organizations implementing ISO management systems.
3. Jump Start Consulting Program: Step-by-step consulting engagements to establish ISO management systems (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 50001, AS9100, IATF 16949) within 3-4 months, delivered via on-site sessions, distance consulting, or a blended approach.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Pillar Management Associates delivers Exemplar Global-certified lead auditor and internal auditor training courses for ISO management system standards (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, IATF 16949, ISO 50001, ISO 27001, ISO 22001) through public open-enrollment sessions across U.S. cities and on-site corporate engagements. The company also provides the Jump Start Consulting Program, a structured implementation service that helps organizations establish fully documented, registration-ready ISO management systems within 3–4 months.

Product overview

Pillar Management Associates offers a comprehensive portfolio of training courses and consulting services focused on international management system standards. The core offering consists of Exemplar Global-certified lead auditor training programs covering ISO 9001 (Quality), ISO 14001 (Environmental), ISO 45001 (Occupational Health & Safety), IATF 16949 (Automotive), ISO 50001 (Energy), ISO 27001 (Information Security), and ISO 22001 (Food Safety). These are complemented by internal auditor training, CEO-focused introductory courses, and the Jump Start© Consulting Program for implementation support. The company also offers combined training programs that allow attendees to pursue multiple certifications through integrated curricula. The business has trained over 10,000 Lead Auditors and assisted over 2,500 organizations in achieving certification since 1997.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ISO 9001/QMS Lead Auditor Training Comprehensive lead auditor training in techniques, methodology, practices, and skills for ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems. Provides certification for EXEMPLAR GLOBAL-QM, AU, and TL competency units. Designed for quality professionals and auditors.
• ISO 14001/EMS Lead Auditor Training Comprehensive lead auditor training for Environmental Management Systems (EMS) based on ISO 14001. Provides EXEMPLAR GLOBAL-EM certification. Designed for environmental auditors and quality professionals.
• ISO 45001 Lead Auditor Training Training course for Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) auditors covering principles and practices for auditing conformance with ISO 45001 standard. Designed for safety auditors and OH&S professionals.
• IATF 16949 Lead Auditor Training Exemplar Global certified QMS Lead Auditor training with emphasis on IATF 16949:2016 automotive quality management standard, covering PPAP, SPC, APQP, FMEA, and MSA protocols. Designed for automotive industry auditors.
• ISO 50001 Energy Management Training Lead auditor training for ISO 50001 Energy Management Systems. Designed for energy auditors and sustainability professionals.
• ISO 27001 Information Security Management System Training Lead auditor training for ISO 27001 Information Security Management Systems. Designed for information security auditors and IT compliance professionals.
• ISO 22001 Food Management Systems Training Training for ISO 22001 Food Safety Management Systems. Designed for food safety auditors and quality professionals in the food industry.
• Jump Start Consulting Program A practical business approach consulting program for establishing ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 50001, ISO 45001, AS9100, and IATF 16949 management systems, delivered through on-site, distance, or blended consulting methods. Delivers a fully documented, registration-ready management system in 3-4 months.
• Internal Quality Auditing Training Training course instructing participants how to become internal quality auditors, covering basic auditing concepts, audit plan development, checklists, reporting, and nonconformance documentation. Designed for in-house quality personnel.
• Multiple Company Training Program ISO 14001 Group-based customized training program for companies developing and implementing environmental management systems conforming to ISO 14001, including pre-assessment audit. Designed for multi-company cohort training engagements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10,000 Lead Auditors trained
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Exemplar GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPillar Management Associates is a Certified Provider of Exemplar Global Lead Auditor and Internal Auditor Courses. Its training modules are certified under the EXEMPLAR GLOBAL Training Provider Examination Certification Scheme, covering competency units QM (Quality Management Systems), EM (Environmental Management Systems), AU (Management Systems Auditing), TL (Leading Management System Audit Teams), OH-45001 (Occupational Health & Safety), and QM-Automotive. Successful participants can apply to Exemplar Global for certification as a provisional auditor.
• ANAB (ANSI National Accreditation Board)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs consultants, Pillar Management Associates has established three ANAB Accredited Certification Bodies (CB), demonstrating deep involvement in the accreditation ecosystem that governs third-party certification for ISO management system standards in the United States.
• South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (SCMEP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical Specialist Vivian L. Harper serves as a Technical Specialist for SCMEP, a not-for-profit organization serving small and medium-sized manufacturers, supported by the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) and the State of South Carolina.
• National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIST supports the South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (SCMEP) through which Pillar Management Associates is connected to small manufacturers. NIST programs also supported the Southeast Manufacturing Technology Center (SMTC) where founders Frank Degar and Carol Robinson previously worked.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• SGS: SGS is a global leader in inspection, verification, testing, and certification services, with extensive ISO management system training and third-party certification offerings. Comparable to PMA because both deliver ISO lead auditor training and certification-related consulting, but SGS operates globally across hundreds of industries with a much broader portfolio.
• LRQA (Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance): LRQA is an ANAB/UKAS-accredited ISO certification body that delivers ISO management system certification, training, and consulting across quality, environmental, OH&S, and information security standards. Highly comparable to PMA on the certification + training business model, with greater international scale.
• TÜV SÜD: TÜV SÜD operates one of the world's largest ISO management system certification and training businesses, including ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, 50001, 27001, IATF 16949, and AS9100 courses. It is comparable to PMA on core ISO training offerings and ANAB/IAS-accredited third-party certification, with substantially larger global infrastructure.
• Bureau Veritas: Bureau Veritas is a global TIC (testing, inspection, certification) company providing ISO management system certification and related training services. Directly comparable to PMA on ISO 9001/14001/45001 training and certification support, with broader industry verticals and global reach.
• DNV (Det Norske Veritas): DNV is a major accredited certification body and ISO training provider (DNV Training), offering public and in-house ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, 27001, and IATF 16949 courses globally. It overlaps directly with PMA's Exemplar Global-certified lead auditor training portfolio but operates at significantly greater scale and international reach.
• DEKRA: DEKRA is a global certification and training organization offering ISO management system audits and lead auditor training across multiple standards. Comparable to PMA as both a certification body-adjacent ISO training provider and consulting partner for organizations pursuing ISO registration, though DEKRA is far larger and broader.
• BSI Group: BSI is one of the largest global certification bodies and ISO training providers, offering lead auditor courses, management system certification, and standards-related consulting across ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, 27001, and more. BSI is a broad incumbent to Pillar Management Associates given direct overlap on Exemplar-Global-equivalent ISO training, but at far larger scale and global reach.

Direct peers

• NQA: NQA is a global ISO certification body that previously acquired IMS — one of the registrars founded by PMA's co-founders. NQA offers ISO lead auditor training and management system certification across the same standards PMA covers (9001, 14001, 45001, 27001, etc.), making it a direct peer in both training and registrar-adjacent consulting.
• QAI (Quality Assurance Institute): QAI is a smaller, more specialized ISO training and certification organization focused on software quality, CMMI, and ISO 9001/27001 lead auditor training. Comparable to PMA as a similarly-sized niche ISO training provider rather than a broad incumbent, overlapping on internal/lead auditor course delivery to quality and IT professionals.

Others

• Exemplar Global: Exemplar Global is the personnel certification body under whose Training Provider Examination Certification Scheme PMA delivers its lead auditor and internal auditor courses. While not a direct competitor, Exemplar Global is the certifying ecosystem participant that underpins PMA's credentialing value proposition and competitor enablement risk.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Pillar Management