American Certification Group

What American Certification Group does

American Certification Group (ACG) is a privately held, Indiana-based certification body founded in 1998 and headquartered in Carmel, USA. ACG is accredited under IAF–IAS ISO/IEC 17021-1, the international standard governing bodies that audit and certify management systems, enabling it to issue globally recognized certificates across three core ISO standards: ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management Systems), ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental Management Systems), and ISO 13485:2016 (Medical Device Quality Management Systems). The certification engagement follows a structured four-stage lifecycle — Stage 1 Registration Assessment, Stage 2 Registration Audit, annual Surveillance Audit, and triennial Reassessment Audit — which generates both one-time project revenue and recurring multi-year surveillance revenue. The company operates with 1–10 employees.

ACG extends its core certification business with two supplementary service lines: Supplier Assessment (third-party evaluation of current or potential suppliers' QMS) and Internal Audit Services (independent QMS reviews conducted on the client site). Revenue is generated entirely through professional services on a quote-based, multi-year contract model; pricing is not publicly disclosed. GTM is sales-led and direct, with customers engaging through the website contact form, phone (317-564-4673), or direct email to senior management (Joel Pecoraro, Director of Operations; Sam Pecoraro, Compliance Manager; Tony, Director of Certification; Lara, Office Manager). The company explicitly targets small and mid-sized organizations — particularly manufacturers — positioning itself against larger registrars through senior management accessibility, a 100% money-back guarantee, and reduced audit rates for ISO 14001.

The business is family-operated with no disclosed external investors, funding rounds, or institutional ownership. ACG distributes thought leadership through a company blog authored primarily by Joel Pecoraro, an active Facebook page, a LinkedIn company page, and an industry publication article in Production Machining Magazine (May 2024). No AI/ML capabilities, proprietary software products, or technology platforms are disclosed; service delivery is human-led, on-site auditing.

Name

American Certification Group

Legal name

American Certification Group

Website

https://americancertify.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

American Certification Group is an IAF–IAS accredited ISO certification body based in Carmel, Indiana, providing ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 13485 certification, supplier assessments, and internal audits primarily to small and mid-sized manufacturing and medical device organizations globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

ISO Management System Certification

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Testing Laboratories and Services (541380)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Management System Certification (Food Safety + Quality/Environment/OHS) (AFALACAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Certification Support (Stage 1/2) & External Audit сопровождение (EUAHAIAF), Pre-Assessment, Gap Assessment & Certification Readiness Services (AFALACAE)

Keywords

• ISO certification services
• Management system certification
• Third-party auditing
• Quality management certification
• Supplier assessment services

Headquarters

HQ city

Carmel

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. ISO Certification Services: Third-party certification to ISO standards including ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, and ISO 13485:2016. Revenue is generated through initial certification audits (stage 1 and stage 2), annual surveillance audits, and three-year recertification audits.
2. Supplier Assessment Services: Unbiased expert review of current or potential supplier quality management systems, including detailed audit reports for informed decision-making.
3. Internal Audit Services: Independent review of quality management systems within client organizations, highlighting strengths and weaknesses against external standards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

American Certification Group is an IAF-IAS ISO/IEC 17021-1 accredited certification body that provides third-party ISO management system certification to organizations. Its core offerings include ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management Systems), ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental Management Systems), and ISO 13485:2016 (Medical Device Quality Management Systems) certifications, delivered through Stage 1 and Stage 2 registration audits, annual surveillance audits, and triennial reassessments. Beyond certification, ACG provides supplementary supplier assessment and internal audit services, targeting small-to-mid-sized manufacturers, medical device firms, and organizations needing vendor quality management evaluations.

Product overview

American Certification Group (ACG) is an Indiana-based certification body providing globally recognized management system certification services. The company offers a portfolio of ISO certification services including ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management Systems), ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental Management Systems), and ISO 13485:2016 (Medical Device Quality Management Systems). These core certification services are delivered through a structured audit process comprising Stage One Assessment, Stage Two Registration, annual Surveillance Audits, and triennial Reassessment. Additionally, ACG provides supplementary services including Supplier Assessment (third-party vendor evaluation) and Internal Audit Services (independent QMS review). The company operates as an IAF–IAS ISO/IEC 17021-1 accredited certification body, positioning its certifications as internationally recognized.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System Certification Third-party certification to the ISO 9001:2015 quality management system standard, helping companies develop effective and controlled processes to improve product quality and overall efficiency with emphasis on managing risk. Delivered under IAF-IAS ISO/IEC 17021-1 accreditation to provide globally recognized certification to manufacturing, production, and service organizations.
• ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management System Certification Third-party certification to the ISO 14001:2015 environmental management standard, helping businesses proactively control their impact on the environment while balancing economics with environmental responsibility. Offered at reduced audit rates to encourage adoption among environmentally focused organizations.
• ISO 13485:2016 Medical Device Certification Third-party certification to the ISO 13485:2016 Medical Device standard, ensuring consistent manufacturing, assembly, and distribution processes for medical device safety throughout the product lifecycle from design to shipment. ISO 13485:2016 is recognized by the FDA as equivalent to 21 CFR 820 regulations by 2026; ACG provides non-accredited certification to this standard.
• Supplier Assessment Services Unbiased expert review of a current or potential supplier's quality management system, including detailed audit reports covering workload, equipment capabilities, material control, quality assurance, and testing procedures to support informed vendor selection and ongoing compliance decisions.
• Internal Audit Services Independent on-site review of an organization's quality management system, highlighting strengths, opportunities, and weaknesses against external standards or customer mandates to inform continuous improvement.
• Stage One Registration Assessment Initial on-site review in the ISO certification audit cycle, focused on determining implementation status of the client's quality management system, identifying activities necessary for full compliance, and establishing the schedule for the final Stage Two certification audit.
• Stage Two Registration Audit Complete on-site evaluation of a company's Quality Management System confirming policies and procedures are effectively implemented and the QMS is suitable and effective for supporting the company's quality policy and objectives, leading to ISO registration.
• Surveillance Audit Annual audit conducted during the three-year certification cycle to verify continued system compliance, effectiveness, and improvement, reviewing management review, internal audits, and corrective actions along with remaining standard requirements.
• Reassessment Audit Complete reassessment of the entire quality management system at the end of each three-year certification cycle, required before expiration of the ISO registration certificate to renew certified status.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduces waste and improves customer satisfaction through world-class management systems

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• DNV: Global certification body offering management system certifications (ISO 9001, 14001, 13485) alongside adjacent services. Significant overlap with ACG's certification offerings at much larger scale.
• Bureau Veritas: Global TIC company offering ISO management system certifications across industries. Competes with ACG for ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 work but at materially larger scale and brand recognition.
• Intertek: Global quality assurance provider with ISO certification services across multiple standards. Competes with ACG on ISO 9001/14001/13485, with broader geographic reach and service portfolio.
• TÜV SÜD: Global testing, inspection, and certification organization with extensive ISO management system certification services. Competes with ACG across multiple ISO standards at significantly larger scale.
• SGS SA: World's largest testing, inspection, and certification company, offering ISO 9001/14001/13485 certifications globally. Represents the scale and breadth benchmark ACG competes against.
• DEKRA: Global testing and certification organization with ISO management system certification services. Overlaps with ACG on ISO 9001, 14001, and 13485 with substantially larger global footprint.
• BSI Group: One of the world's largest ISO certification bodies, offering the same ISO 9001, 14001, and 13485 certifications as ACG plus a much broader portfolio. Represents the dominant global incumbent ACG competes against.

Direct peers

• Perry Johnson Registrars: US-based ISO management system certification body of comparable size and scope, offering ISO 9001/14001/13485 certifications to similar small and mid-sized manufacturers. Closest direct competitor to ACG in the US ISO registrar market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/americancertificationgroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-certification-group

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 American Certification Group