Frequently Asked Questions

When was Westco incorporated?
1965; California.

Westco Ownership?
Privately held.

What are some Current Accreditations and Certifications?
IFT
Chemical Manufacturers Association
National Association of Chemical Distributors DCAT
Society of Cosmetic Chemists
American Chemical Society

Do you have written operator instructions?
Yes, all instructions are in written form.

List all countries to which you currently supply product directly:
United States.

Is there a Preventative Maintenance Program in place?
Yes.

Union affiliation:

None.

Does the company rate itself as a low-cost, high-cost or average-cost employer?
Average cost employer.

What is the mix of manpower in terms of types, grades, caliber and competence by sub-category?
1/3 office, 1/3 operations and 1/3 sales and management.

Provide a brief category description for each product your company offers:
Bakery, Beverage, Dairy, Flavors, General food, Meat and Poultry processing, Nutritional, Personal Care, Pharmaceutical, Winery, and light industrial.

Explain your company’s ability to provide documents:
Westco will supply a complete Master file including: specification sheets, irradiation and sewage sludge statement, nutritional statement, Kosher Certificate, Halal Certificate, allergen statement, ingredient statement, country of origin statement, production flow chart, MSDS, letter of guarantee, GMP statement, Certificate of Analysis, Certificate of Compliance, organic/natural statement, GMO statement, shelf life statement and FDA Bioterrorism statement.

How do you handle an unhappy customer?
First, we put ourselves in their shoes and listen to what has transpired. Second, we attempt to figure out and rectify how the problem occurred. Third, we will do our best to resolve the problem, and assure them that this issue will not be repeated. Finally, the customer will always be treated with dignity and respect, provided an apology, and a thank you for their business.

What kind of lead time (in days) do you typically require?
1 day for most products, as we stock locally. 3-5 days for special buys.

What is your current inventory (in days of supply)?
3-6 months..

Do your facilities, personnel and recordkeeping comply with all applicable Current Good Manufacturing Practices as regulated by the US FDA?

Yes. We are in complete compliance of any and all regulations pertaining to distributors of our size.

Does each ingredient or product, include its own unique set of methodologies, and specifications developed for each material, in accordance with all available compendious literature. If yes, is this set of methods and specifications applied to each batch received?
Yes, each product specification document or Certificate of Analysis (COA) is consistently monitored and checked against the most current edition of the appropriate monograph (USP/NF, FCC… etc.).

Does your company guarantee the quality of your products?
Yes!

Do you procure your raw material from exclusive suppliers who have several decades of technical and commercial production experience?
Yes.

Do you have a system for vendor qualification?
Yes! Vendors are required to fully complete questionnaires as part of our new vendor program. Existing vendors are routinely monitored and many of the facilities are visited and audited by a Westco representative.

What is your sampling plan?
Westco requests samples of any new products we intend to purchase and/or sell.

Do you have written specifications for each raw material?

Yes, each raw material we supply (approx.. 1000+) maintains a written specification, C OF A, etc.

Have you ever had a FDA warning letter issued to your company?
No.

Do you conduct internal GMP audits of your operations including vendors?
Yes, routinely.

Is an annual quality report produced:?

Yes, as part of our HACCP plan.

Describe your system for determining the release or rejection of product:
A product is released when it meets our specification and requirements. Rejection is implemented when product does not meet our specification and requirements.

What makes you different from your key competitors?

Very High degree of reliability, predictability, local stock with virtually no lead time, and well above average service. Our customers have told us we are very easy to work with, which is highly unique these days!

Describe systems in place to manage Environment Health and Safety Issues at your company?

HACCP plan.

Provide information on types of chemical hazards that your company is familiar with:
Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations, handling hazardous materials, segregation of products, and warehouse controls for facility.

Are all of your raw materials clearly identified and traceable?
Yes, each raw material is properly labeled and marked. Our system completely lot controlled – orders cannot be shipped or invoiced without proper lot allocation. All transactions (shipping and receiving) are 100% traceable.

Is the shelf life of raw materials monitored and specified?
Yes.

Are non-food materials stored separately from food materials?
Yes, each product is assigned a warehouse location, at the time of receipt, according to food or non-food, allergen or non- allergen, hazardous or non- etc.

Can potential customers audit your facility?

What is the corporate square footage, including warehouse?
80,000+