DeWITT — Galson Laboratories has been growing since the start of 2012 with new locations in new geographies and acquisitions to start off 2013. The company announced two acquisitions in January that will add to operations it established in 2012 in Hawaii and Canada. Based in DeWitt, Galson provides laboratory testing services to the industrial […]
DeWITT — Galson Laboratories has been growing since the start of 2012 with new locations in new geographies and acquisitions to start off 2013.
The company announced two acquisitions in January that will add to operations it established in 2012 in Hawaii and Canada.
Based in DeWitt, Galson provides laboratory testing services to the industrial hygiene, occupational health and safety, and environmental industries.
Galson set up shop in Honolulu last June with the acquisition of White Environmental Consultants, Inc., which also added a location in Anchorage, Alaska. Galson announced its second acquisition in Hawaii on Jan. 18.
The company acquired INALAB, Inc., an industrial hygiene and analytical services laboratory in Honolulu. Galson now has 12 people working in Honolulu.
All of the staff there came from INALAB and White Environmental.
The site should be helpful to the firm’s efforts to expand its business in Pacific Rim nations, says Joe Unangst, Galson president and CEO. About 9 percent of the company’s business comes from outside the U.S., including about 3 percent from the Pacific Rim.
It’s a market with room for Galson to grow, Unangst says. The location in Hawaii will cut down on shipping time for Galson clients who send the firm samples for analysis.
And Hawaii itself is home to plenty of talent with ties to Pacific Rim nations. Galson’s staff in Honolulu is already diverse, Unangst says, which should help the company as it pursues more business overseas.
Canadian growth
Also in January, Galson announced it acquired Occupational and Environmental Health Laboratory (OEHL) in Hamilton, Ontario. Galson first established a foothold in the Canadian market last year when it opened an office in Mississauga.
The deal for OEHL did not add any staff in Canada, where Galson has one employee. The company acquired OEHL’s clients, Unangst says
Canada has been a growing market for Galson, Unangst adds. Business there has been growing 30 percent a year.
Establishing the office there last year helped further as it allows the company to serve customers without as many customs headaches. OEHL was one of Galson’s few major competitors in Ontario, Unangst says.
Growing the Canadian business has been a focus for Galson, Unangst says. The company has a salesperson dedicated to the task who has been calling on clients and attending plenty of conferences and trade shows.
Bolder Capital, LLC of Chicago made an investment in Galson in 2010. Financial terms were not disclosed. At the time, company leaders said the move would help the firm grow its international business.
In addition to the expansions in Hawaii and Canada, Galson opened a new industrial hygiene rental instrument office in Houston in June 2011. Providing rental equipment is another growth area for Galson, Unangst says.
Galson now employs 133 people companywide, including 99 in DeWitt. The firm employed 90 people total in 2010.
Unangst expects more hiring in Central New York as a result of the latest expansions. He says the company will probably add four to five people locally.
Galson has additional facilities in Charleston, S.C.; Alameda, Calif.; Seabrook, Texas; and Stevens Point, Wisc.
The company is on track to increase its annual revenue to at least $24 million in the next few years, Unangst says. The firm generated $12 million in 2009.
