Case Study: Glacier Consulting Helps Electronics Recycling Business Earn R2 Certification in 6 Months
Over his 16 years of working in the IT and sustainability industries, Troy Woolard had seen cut corners when it came to complying with industry standards. He saw businesses skirt the system and go to elaborate lengths to shift work from parent to subsidiary companies to avoid the hassle of earning and maintaining certification. When he founded ThinkTLS, an asset lifecycle management business, in October 2023, he knew he wanted to do things differently.
To build trust with clients and give his company a competitive edge, he was determined to establish systems and processes “by the book,” and operate with integrity.
“Certification means a lot to customers from a security standpoint,” he said. “Companies that are certified are held to a different standard.”
His goal was to get ISO and R2 certified as quickly and with as much care and attention to detail as possible. After some initial friction, he eventually found and partnered with Glacier Consulting – and earned R2 certification in a remarkably short six months.
The Problem: Fly-by-Night Consultants & Certification Horror Stories
Though he was resolute about earning certification, Troy had reservations about the process. He had heard “nightmare” stories from his peers about consultants who were difficult to get in touch with and seemed to lack essential knowledge about the process. He knew many companies that had major findings during their audits, which led to significant delays and costly rework.
When he started his search for a consultant, his wariness solidified. The consultants he spoke to were reluctant to provide even the most basic information without a deposit and signed contract in place. Sometimes, he couldn’t even get a call back.
“The attitude was, ‘if you aren’t our client, we don’t want to talk to you,’” Troy said.
He was so underwhelmed by the responses he received that he considered forgoing a consultant and pursuing certification independently. He even contemplated purchasing another company that was R2 certified, thinking it might be more cost effective – and ultimately less stressful – to buy a business than start the certification process from scratch.
The Solution: ThinkTLS Partners with Glacier Consulting
Part One: ThinkTLS finds Glacier Consulting
Troy’s attitude towards consultants changed when he found Glacier Consulting through a Google search. After his first call with Michael Hutchcraft, Glacier’s president, Troy could tell that he and his team were different. Michael wasn’t withholding or salesy – he provided information freely and was forthcoming with advice. He seemed determined to give Troy the guidance he needed to receive the appropriate service and support, even if it ultimately wasn’t with Glacier.
“Michael came off as the most knowledgeable and helpful,” Troy said. “They weren’t just trying to sell to us. They were open to providing information, whether we signed with them or not.”
One piece of free advice Michael gave Troy? Don’t buy a company just for the certification. Michael compared the price and time it would take to acquire a new business and start the certification process from scratch. The conversation ultimately helped Troy realize that getting certified would be faster and more cost-effective. He said that decision probably ended up “saving them a lot of time.”
Part Two: The Work Begins
After a few phone calls with Michael, Troy knew he wanted to work with Glacier Consulting – and saw the value in partnering with an expert. “I realized quickly that Michael is not just an average consultant,” he said. “It was clear that he knew what he was doing.”
Troy wasn’t just impressed by Glacier’s expertise – he was also won over by their shared principles. “Being in the service industry, customer experience is at the forefront of everything I do,” he said. “To hear Michael echo the same statements I make to my customers gave me confirmation that we were choosing the right company.”
When the time came to sign the contract, Troy was pleased by how upfront Glacier was, particularly around budgeting and timelines. From day one, Troy knew what the cost would be and said there were no “gotcha moments.”
Early in the process, they had several conversations about Troy’s goals and long-term vision for ThinkTLS. Based on that information, Michael selected the R2 appendices that were most appropriate and walked Troy and his team through the requirements and documentation needed to satisfy each appendix. He then created folders for them to use to organize information and data, which provided a strong foundation upon which to build their system.
“We like to do everything by the books – and Michael made sure we did by setting our system up the right way,” Troy said.
Part Three: The Auditing Process
Michael visited ThinkTLS several times to ensure everything – down to the placement of eye wash stations and positioning of fire extinguishers – was exactly right. He performed a full, hands-on internal audit and, once he was confident the system was airtight, scheduled the certification audit.
Two days before the final audit, Michael was on-site to prepare Troy and his team and share ThinkTLS’s documentation with the certifier. When the certifier arrived, Troy had full confidence in the system they had built with Glacier Consulting’s support.
The audit went off without a hitch – and without any major findings. In just six months, ThinkTLS was ISO and R2 certified.
“The reason why we were able to complete the process so quickly was 100% because of Glacier Consulting,” Troy said. “We maybe could have done it in a year without them, maybe. But six months? Absolutely not.”
To ensure they remain compliant and prepared for re-certification and surveillance audits, ThinkTLS formalized its relationship with Glacier by signing a retainer agreement.
A Curveball Challenge: Remaining Operational while Transitioning to a New Facility
ThinkTLS grew quickly and eventually signed a lease on a new 60,000 square foot facility. While it was a positive sign of their growth, the move posed a few problems. Certifications don’t immediately transfer to new facilities and, when an organization moves, it is removed from SERI’s website until it is re-certified.
Troy was concerned that any downtime would give competitors the opportunity to try to poach ThinkTLS’s customers. They were also in the process of signing a new organization and were worried that a gap in their certification status would have derailed the burgeoning relationship.
As soon as they knew they were moving, Troy reached out to Glacier Consulting. With two months until the move, Michael devised a plan that would get ThinkTLS’s new facility certified with as little downtime as possible. He walked ThinkTLS through the move-out and move-in procedures and handled the paperwork. Michael then conducted a virtual walkthrough and scheduled the closeout of the old facility on February 14 – and had the certification audit for the new facility scheduled for February 15.As Troy anticipated, there were no findings during the audit, and ThinkTLS was back on SERI’s site in three days – a fraction of the time it takes most.
The Results: A Lasting Partnership
ThinkTLS and Glacier Consulting have built a strong relationship over their nearly two years of working together.
“I don’t hesitate to reach out to Glacier whenever I have a question,” Troy said. “Whenever we want to bring in a downstream vendor, we send their information to Glacier to vet from a compliance standpoint. They make sure any potential partnerships won’t jeopardize our good standing or cause a problem during an audit.”
Troy is continually impressed by the knowledge and support Glacier provides – and thinks it’s fair to say that Glacier has helped ThinkTLS win new business.
“What Michael and I have built is a true partnership,” Troy said. “I don’t think of Glacier as a vendor – they are part of our organization.”