By Barrett J. Brunsman – Staff reporter, Cincinnati Business Courier
4 hours ago
Q Laboratories plans to officially open its new $10 million lab building in East Price Hill on May 17.
Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley and Hamilton County Commissioner Denise Driehaus are to be on hand for the ribbon cutting for the 30,000-square-foot building, which sits on 5.4 acres in the Knob Hill City View Industrial Park.
The privately held firm’s executive team will also participate in the ceremony. David Goins is principal owner and chief operating officer of Q Laboratories, and Jeff Rowe is CEO.
The architect for the new lab was BC3D Design of Warren County’s Turtlecreek Township, while Michael Lichtenberg & Sons Construction of Sharonville was the builder.
Services provided by Q Laboratories include pathogen screening, nutritional analysis, microbial identification and shelf life/stability testing. Recent growth has mostly been driven by regulatory requirements for food, pharmaceutical and dietary supplement companies.
Construction of the state-of-the-art facility on previously vacant property, combined with existing buildings purchased at 1920 and 1930 Radcliff Drive, will allow for continued growth and a more efficient workspace for Q Laboratories’ 130 employees.
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Q Laboratories’ new 30,000-square-foot lab building is in the Knob Hill City View Industrial Park of East Price Hill.
I previously reported that Q Laboratories had paid $1 million for the two buildings as part of the firm’s ongoing expansion. Q Laboratories has relocated its Microbiology Pharma Laboratory to the buildings, which encompass a total of 25,000 square feet. That allowed for expansion of both that lab and a Microbiology Food Lab, which made use of vacated space at a Harrison Avenue location in South Fairmount.
“We did most of the renovation of the existing buildings ourselves, using our facilities staff and several minor contractors,” said Mark Goins, director of business development for Q Laboratories and brother of David.
Q Laboratories plans to add 90 jobs to its East Price Hill location and invest millions of dollars in high-tech equipment. The new hires will mostly be scientists, and starting salaries are expected to range from $40,000 to $60,000, according to Mark Goins.
That will boost the firm’s payroll by $3.4 million annually by Dec. 31, 2020. The company will retain 130 jobs with an annual payroll of $5.3 million. The workforce is expected to total 220 within two years, a 69 percent increase.
“We have been fortunate to have a fantastic team that has enabled us to continue to grow,” Mark Goins said today. “Opening this beautiful new building is a testament to the dedication of all of our employees and the excellence they bring to the lab each and every day.”
Q Laboratories has remained one of the fastest-growing companies in Greater Cincinnati, doubling sales revenue and employee count twice in the last 12 years and twice being named to the Fast 55 list by the Cincinnati Business Courier.
Q Laboratories Inc. was founded in 1966 by Herb Quinn, a Procter & Gamble retiree who operated a microbiology lab in the basement of his home, testing mostly water. The company takes its name from the first letter of his last name.
