Jacksonville, Fla. - Columbia Analytical has hired four new employees at their Jacksonville, Florida laboratory in effort to increase their level of customer service.

Karenza Fedele joined Columbia Analytical as the new Quality Assurance (QA) Manager. Fedele has more than 11 years of work experience with Pace Analytical/ELAB in Ormond Beach. She will be responsible for the overall implementation and management of the laboratory QA program.

Janet Jones was hired as the primary Lachat Analyst in the wet chemistry department. Jones joined Columbia Analytical after working as a scientist with Kroll Laboratory Specialists in Louisiana.

James Nicholson accepted supervisor responsibilities for the volatiles section. Nicholson will manage instrument retrofit and method development efforts for RSK-175. He joins Columbia Analytical with more than 11 years experience as an analyst and laboratory volatiles supervisor.

The volatiles section was formerly lead by Jerry Allen. He has been promoted into a full-time project management role.

Cheslea Lovejoy was hired as an instrument analyst (GC/MS, GC/ECD and GC/FID), and has a role in method development, specifically for low level 8082 analysis (GC/ECD) and PCB congener analysis in conjunction with PAH analysis (GC/MS SIM). She joins Columbia Analytical after five years experience as an analyst.

For more information on Columbia Analytical - Jacksonville, please contact Andre Rachmaninoff at 904.739.2277 or visit the company’s website at www.caslab.com.

Jacksonville, Fla. – Columbia Analytical Services, Inc., a national environmental laboratory network announces the hiring of Andre Rachmaninoff to direct its Jacksonville laboratory.

Rachmaninoff joins Columbia Analytical with over 23 years of experience in laboratory management, holding positions such as Laboratory Director and Vice President. In his previous position with Pace Analytical Services (formerly ELAB), Rachmaninoff served as General Manager for two regional laboratories. Rachmaninoff has expertise in the EPA Safe Drinking Water program, microbiology, wet chemistry and metals analyses. He has worked within the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Clean Water Act (CWA) and Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) programs. Rachmaninoff is a past president of the Florida Society of Environmental Analysts and an active member of the Florida Association of Environmental Professionals.

“My initial goals as Lab Director will be the development of a NP (nitrogen-phosphorus) pesticide process, TPH (total petroleum hydrocarbons) method and a number of analyses in sediment and bio-tissue,” said Rachmaninoff. “I want to help my staff realize their full potential by continuously challenging them, providing them with greater responsibility, and offering as much support as I can possibly give.”

Established in 1986, Columbia Analytical is an employee-owned, full service analytical laboratory network. Headquartered in Kelso, Washington, their network is composed of seven laboratories in Arizona, California, Florida, New York, Texas and Washington. Their expertise encompasses air, water, dioxin, biological, pharmaceutical, and solid and hazardous waste analyses.

For more information please contact Rachmaninoff at 904.394.4407 or view the company’s website at www.caslab.com.

Recent news reports suggest that wallboard may be causing odor problems and potential safety concerns for some homeowners, initially reported from Florida.

Certain wallboard materials in the presence of heat and humidity may emit odors, cause corrosion of wiring in homes and lead to health concerns.

Preliminary reports stated that the suspect materials came from China; however, state and federal health officials are currently researching numerous sources as well as any potential health hazards. Columbia Analytical has been performing analyses to support these efforts.

Columbia Analytical is one of a very few laboratories in the United States that can test for a wide range of compounds in air. Their expertise includes the testing of air samples or samples of the wallboard material itself. Please contact the laboratory at 805-526-7161 for more information or to obtain a quote.

Learn more about Chinese Drywall Testing…

—