Contract Labor & Laboratory Outsourcing

Contract Scientific Labor and Outsourcing Services

With today’s economic conditions, more and more companies are focusing on their core business. Many are deciding that environmental testing is not part of their core competency and look to outsource these needs.

Columbia Analytical can provide this support by either placing our trained chemists and technicians at your plant site to perform environmental sampling and analysis or by transferring your environmental testing program to one of our laboratory facilities.

Whichever way you choose, Columbia Analytical ensures that all testing and lab operations are conducted properly so that all regulatory requirements and deadlines are met.  Outsourcing your environmental testing to Columbia Analytical is an effective way to support your business functions by taking the burden of the testing program and lab operations off of your shoulders so that you can focus on your core business, while we focus on ours.

6 Advantages of Outsourcing to Columbia Analytical

• Scientific testing is our core competency
• Contracting environmental testing to an independent third party provides additional credibility of test results to regulatory agencies
• We have a highly trained technical workforce
• We maintain and constantly update our testing equipment
• Our laboratories maintain current certifications and accreditations
• We are committed to providing you with excellent customer service so you can focus on your core competencies

Example Clients

 

IBM chose Columbia Analytical to supply analytical support services to its Hudson Valley Environmental Laboratory in Fishkill, New York. IBM operated a full service laboratory for nearly 25 years for the purpose of conducting industrial hygiene and general environmental related testing for its internal needs. The facility is certified by the AIHA and state certification agencies in the eastern part of the country. It conducts almost 50,000 analyses per year.

Columbia Analytical has supplied trained technical and scientific personnel to all areas of operation: in the laboratory and to the field service units responsible for collection of samples from personnel monitors and water, air and wastewater monitoring locations. The personnel are trained in the operation of the full range of laboratory instrumentation, including GC, GC/MS, ICP, ICP/MS, TOC and automated calorimetric analyzers. Columbia Analytical's on-site manager interacts continually with the IBM supervisory staff to evaluate the workload coming into the laboratory and assigns the correct mix of labor to the various tasks. All Columbia Analytical personnel are trained in the use of the laboratory information systems utilized to receive, store and report data.

In October 2007, IBM decided to close its Hudson Valley Laboratory Operations and outsource all of its analytical and field sampling work to Columbia Analytical.  Columbia Analytical retains personnel on-site in East Fishkill, NY to provide the project management, sample collection and sample management for the programs the IBM laboratory previously supported.  All analytical work is now being performed in the Columbia Analytical Rochester, NY laboratory, which accommodates the specialized IBM methods and non-routine techniques.

Xerox chose Columbia Analytical for its analytical and field services. Columbia Analytical experts work onsite at Xerox’s primary environmental laboratory to provide the following services:

• Well monitoring, including quarterly sampling of over 300 wells
• Field sampling, of soils, waste streams, surface waters, treatment systems and manufacturing processes
• Analytical testing and data base management for over 400 wells at seven sites in the United States and South America

Our service encompasses five specific areas of operations:

• Development of sampling and analytical plans with direction from Xerox’s project managers and their consultant
• Scheduling field sampling and maintenance events
• Transfer of the samples to the appropriate Columbia Analytical laboratory
• Analyses according to the specified protocols including New York State ASP
• Production and delivery of client-specific data report, including electronic data deliverable for uploading into the client’s monitoring database

Eastman Kodak operated their own in-house full service analytical laboratory to support its film manufacturing facilities in Rochester, NY.

Due to economic conditions, Kodak decided to close this laboratory in 2005 and outsource its analytical needs to Columbia Analytical.  Columbia Analytical now supports the effluent testing, industrial hygiene, ambient air monitoring, and waste verification programs as well as other miscellaneous testing such as manufacturing process work. These programs include a broad range of organic and inorganic tests including many specialized low-level analysis as well as non-routine GC/MS and liquid chromatography (LC) parameters.

In order to make this transition as smooth as possible for Eastman Kodak, Columbia Analytical was able to accommodate Kodak’s specialized reporting and EDD formats which were completely different from those in place at Columbia Analytical.  Additionally, many new procedures, chemical parameters and specialized report limits were brought on-line, in many cases assimilating Eastman Kodak Standard Operating Procedures. 

International Paper operated a laboratory to support its mill operations in Savannah, GA.  Due to economic conditions, they called on Columbia Analytical to provide staffing options in order for the mill to continue to provide on-site laboratory services.  We now provide contract employees to International Paper-Savannah to support the various environmental as well as process and product quality control testing. We provide the complete staffing necessary for the entire lab operations, seven days a week, 365 days per year.  Approximately two-thirds of the testing performed is for environmental compliance support, with the balance of the testing to meet the mill’s need for process and product quality control analyses.

Environmental testing services are primarily in response to the mill's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. Some of the parameters analyzed include biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, and total suspended solids. Additional testing may include collection of clarifier, lagoon, and receiving water samples. Other routine testing may include measuring the biological diversity of sludge used to treat the industrial wastewater. Specialized testing may include the use of an atomic adsorption spectrophotometer, and other complex instrumentation. 

The lab is operated within strict quality assurance parameters as dictated by the Georgia Department of Environmental Quality, including regular audits and proficiency sample testing. Columbia Analytical employees at the facility participate in the same quality training and career development programs as regular Columbia Analytical employees, including continuing education classes and ethics training.

Other Pulp & Paper Services

Columbia Analytical provides services for other pulp and paper companies as well.  We provide contract employee support for emergencies, short-term projects, unusual workload conditions and various events, such as start-up and implementation of new equipment. The types of testing performed include environmental, process control and/or quality assurance. Aqueous, solid and/or air matrices for any variety of analytes and methods can be accommodated.  Services can also be provided on a long-term basis.  

An example of a long-term contract is Columbia Analytical’s work at Brunswick Cellulose’s, Brunswick, GA plant site. Testing includes primarily environmental compliance testing (i.e., biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids) for their National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. Columbia Analytical’s staff represents approximately 20% of the manpower requirement for the analytical needs of the plant. The on-site laboratory addresses the immediate analytical needs for the mill operations.

Proven Track Record

Columbia Analytical has a proven track record of successful laboratory outsourcing for a wide range of clients.

All work is performed in accordance with all applicable state and federal regulatory protocols, methods, and best practices.

Laboratory outsourcing allows your company to exchange high fixed costs with low variable costs. Without the overhead, you have the flexibility to choose analytical support on an as-needed basis and have fast access to Columbia Analytical with its state-of-the-art capabilities and world-class technical expertise.

Contact Us

Call to learn more and determine if scientific labor and outsourcing support services are right for you.

Please use our Contact Form or contact Steve Vincent directly at 360-501-3304 to learn more about our outsourcing and contract labor services.