LAZ Parking recently earned status as an Accredited Parking Organization (APO), joining an elite class of the top organizations in the industry. APO is a designation for organizations that recognizes best practices in responsible parking management and operations, customer service, professional development, sustainability and access management, safety, data security and risk management, and more.
“It’s quite an achievement, which follows a lengthy and arduous review process,” explained Shawn Conrad, CAE, CEO of the International Parking & Mobility Institute (IPMI), the organization that sets the standards for APO Accreditation and Accreditation with Distinction. The APO program was established to set industry standards that develop, ensure, and support a high level of professionalism and competency in parking, transportation, and mobility management.
To earn the APO Accreditation, an organization must demonstrate its commitment to ongoing evaluation and improvement through the implementation of industry best practices. Applicant organizations work with third-party reviewers to present evidence of accomplishment of more than 100 criteria in 14 categories, in addition to 25 required criteria. Accreditation requires that at least one facility is evaluated and meets the criteria as established by the APO Board of Directors.
“Parking at an accredited facility or operation assures the public that the organization adheres to a strict code of ethics and meets national and internationally endorsed standards for professionalism, accountability, responsibility, and performance,” Conrad said.
“LAZ is so very proud to have earned this distinction,” said Alan Lazowski, Chairman, CEO, and founder of LAZ Parking. “IPMI accreditation is an acknowledgement of our excellence in customer service, operations, employee development and a multitude of other areas. It also validates all the hard work each and every member of the LAZ team does day in and day out to achieve those results.”