ROANOKE TIMES 

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 23, 1994                   TAG: 9411230118
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: C8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MAG POFF STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

MERGER TO EXPAND ETS LAB CAPABILITY

ETS International Inc., a Roanoke environmental services company, said Tuesday it plans to acquire Environmental Laboratories Inc. of Richmond, merging it into its laboratory subsidiary, ETS Analytical Services Inc. also based in Roanoke.

ETS Chairman John McKenna said the Richmond company has revenues of about $1 million and employs 20 people. He expects the deal to close in 60 to 90 days. He said the merger will increase the company's laboratory capability 50 percent.

Environmental Laboratories Inc. is a leading eastern Virginia environmental analytical laboratory operating an 8,500-square-foot facility in Richmond.

ETS Analytical Services operates a 15,000-square-foot laboratory near the Roanoke Regional Airport. At 23,000 square feet, the merged companies will constitute one of the largest environmental lab operations in Virginia.

David Tompkins, president of ETS Analytical Services, said the merger will provide the Roanoke company with a needed presence in the eastern part of Virginia.

"The two labs complement each other well and many sales and contract execution synergies are obvious to us," he said.

For Environmental Laboratories, the merger represents affiliation with a major laboratory in the Environmental Protection Agency Contract Lab program. It will provide the resources to improve the quality of services and increase revenues, said Steven Pond, president of Environmental Laboratories.

ETS Analytical Services is an environmentally oriented analytical lab serving government, utilities and industry. It has executed many EPA contracts and is a contract-authorized Superfund laboratory participating in EPA's Contract Laboratory program, one of fewer than a dozen such labs authorized for inorganic analysis. ETS Analytical Services also provides comprehensive field and laboratory services related to waste water, drinking water, OSHA air compliance, toxic substances and methods development.

Environmental Laboratories also is an analytical laboratory but with a large industrial and commercial clientele. It specializes in ground water analysis and remediation. 


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