Employee-recognition company Michael C. Fina Co. practices what it preaches when it comes to quality: The New York-based company has received ISO 9001 certification for its quality management system for the fifth consecutive year.

Michael C. Fina is one of just a few in the industry to achieve this distinction. To be certified, a company must document all the processes essential to the business — which can be a lengthy endeavor — and adhere to quality-management guidelines outlined by the International Organization for Standardization, which is based in Geneva, Switzerland.

Why go through such an in-depth process? “The need for quality was a big part of it,” says Michael A. Fina, vice president. “We are in a business that really requires zero defects. Everything we build has to be perfect because the gifts we send out represent the corporations they come from. If we don't get it right, those companies look bad.”

Many of his customers are Fortune 500 companies that are also very focused on quality, he adds. “This certification helps to keep us on the same level.”