Your treated wood poles and crossarms won’t last in-service unless they’re properly treated. The WQC program is designed to ensure that the manufacturers of these products have functional internal quality control systems in place so that high-quality WQC products are available to all utilities. The only RUS-approved quality assurance program available to the consumer, WQC incorporates four different disciplines to accomplish a two-fold purpose: assure finished product quality and verify that those you are paying to provide third-party inspection actually perform the service per specification requirements. WQC:  

• Qualifies and approves pole and crossarm producers
• Inspects poles and crossarms in-plant
• Conducts destination inspection of treated poles/crossarms after delivery
• Independently verifies the performance of the program’s primary inspection agency

WQC was created thanks to the collaborative efforts of many utility leaders who were looking for a better way to make sure that their construction and maintenance dollars were being wisely spent for high-quality treated wood products. In addition to this primary purpose, WQC’s mission also included becoming a primary technical and educational resource to our customers. More knowledgeable consumers make better purchase decisions, resulting in more effective use of system construction and maintenance dollars. As a “go-to” resource for a wide variety of technical information related to the purchase and use of treated utility products, WQC is committed to providing you with the information you need to make sound purchasing decisions regarding your pole and crossarm purchases. We can expand your employees’ knowledge of the treated wood products they handle and install everyday by providing informational seminars on such topics as pole and crossarm production, species, preservatives, specifications, and inspection, just to name a few. These programs can be customized to meet an individual system’s needs or if need be, offered to a broader audience through statewide organizations.  

For more information about hosting or scheduling such a session, contact us at:  

1888 Main St., Ste. C #434
Madison, MS 39110
Phone: 571-499-0408
E-mail: Will.Cox@nreca.coop  

Your pole and crossarm specifications should be kept current and accurately describe the finished product that you expect to receive from suppliers. Our highly-trained, experienced staff of wood professionals will be happy to review your current specifications to ensure that they are up-to-date, or sit down and work with you on developing your own specifications should that be your desire.