CPS Certification Services, Inc. was established by Stefan Hocom in 2000. His goal was to bridge the gap that existed between the strict clean manufacturing requirements of the day and the costs associated with those requirements.

Stefan understood that a general lack of knowledge in contamination control was responsible for many of the problems experienced by the clean manufacturing industry. Manufacturing costs were at odds with manufacturing requirements. For years contamination control was presented as a right or wrong philosophy, where only a single massive solution existed for the manufacturer. As an answer to this problem, Stefan introduced an incremental process, focusing on more practical solutions. The goal was to get the manufacturer to take the first step. He understood that once the first step was taken a process of education could begin. Each step would be an improvement for the manufacturer at a reasonable cost.

Stefan was introduced to the cleanroom industry at the age of 14. He helped clean many controlled environments for his father who was a pioneer in microcleaning techniques. Lockheed, Stanford and Seagate were among his first cleanroom projects. After receiving a bachelors degree from Chico State University in 1993, Stefan and his father formed a cleanroom service company. As this business grew, He found his niche in the consulting and testing arena. In 2000 he set out on his own and formed CPS Certification Services, Inc. Since that time, the company has established itself as a trusted solution to the clean manufacturing industry.