RTI Laboratories has been on a winning streak since the end of the last recession.
The Livonia-based business has hired 10 people over the last year, expanding its staff to just over 60 employees and two interns. It is currently looking to hire five people, primarily chemists, lab techs and metallurgists.
"Since we have come out of the recession we have hired nearly 20 people," says Jerry Singh, president & CEO of
RTI Laboratories.
The 27-year-old business has two labs. The first lab is for materials testing (think plastics and steel) for manufacturers. That has grown along with the rebound in the manufacturing sector. The second lab is for environmental testing, which helps firms abide by federal regulations, such as EPA requirements. It has spearheaded RTI Laboratories' growth.
"In the last three years we have gotten into federal programs," Singh says. "We have hired a sales person who focuses on federal programs. We have signed 12 federal contracts worth more than $20 million."
RTI Laboratories also has a larger customer footprint. Before the recession it mainly served customers in Metro Detroit. After the recession, it has taken on work from across North America.
"That has helped us immensely," Singh says. "We have grown from a southeast Michigan laboratory to a nationally recognized laboratory."
Source: Jerry Singh, president & CEO of RTI Laboratories
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
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