The 3-A Symbol is far more than a corporate logo. It is a registered trademark intended for voluntary use by fabricators to signify that certain models/types of equipment have been verified by an independent inspection to conform to a 3-A Sanitary Standard. The Third Party Verification (TPV) inspection of equipment for conformance must be conducted at the manufacturing facility by a qualified authority accredited by 3-A SSI as a Certified Conformance Evaluator (CCE). Erickson was among the first group of CCEs accredited by 3-A SSI in 2003 and he continues to provide TPV inspection services to a number of fabricators.