Q Laboratories

What Q Laboratories does

Q Laboratories is a Cincinnati-based contract testing laboratory founded in 1966 that provides microbiology, analytical chemistry, and stability testing services to manufacturers in five regulated industries: Personal Care, Prescription Drug, Food Safety, Water Treatment, and Household Care. The company operates from a single 30,000 sq. ft. campus (opened in 2018) that consolidates all testing functions, including 25+ ICH-compliant stability chambers with walk-in capacity, and serves customers ranging from generic pharmaceutical manufacturers to household care brands and Caribbean resort hotels. Core instrumentation spans HPLC, GC, GC-MS, ICP-MS, ICP-OES, FTIR, MALDI-TOF (Bruker), and qPCR platforms, enabling pathogen detection, microbial identification, disinfectant efficacy testing, Legionella analysis, shelf-life studies, and environmental monitoring under GMP/GLP frameworks.

The company's commercial offering is organized into five vertical-specific testing services plus cross-cutting capabilities in R&D method development, training and consulting, and a curated testing-supply storefront. Revenue is generated primarily through per-test, quote-based contract pricing on enterprise engagements, with sample submission managed through a secure client portal (Result Point) that is scheduled to be replaced by a new digital portal called Q Connect in late 2026. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales supplemented by trade show presence at industry events (INTERPHEX, CPHI, IAFP, NYSCC, AWT) and a content-led marketing program including science-backed blogs and educational webinars.

Q Laboratories holds a broad accreditation stack — ISO/IEC 17025 (A2LA), FDA/MoCRA registered, DEA registered, EPA certified for drinking water, CDC ELITE for Legionella, AOAC, MicroVal, AFNOR, NY ELAP, UKHSA, and BBB (since 2001) — that creates regulatory barriers to entry and supports global regulatory submissions for clients. The company has been majority owned (75%) by Cincinnati Investment Group since 2017, with founder-era owner Dave Goins retaining 25% as an active investor; current executive leadership includes a President/CEO and President/COO. The company is privately held, employs 101-250 people, and generates revenue through regulated-industry contract testing rather than product sales.

Name

Q Laboratories

Legal name

Q Laboratories

Website

https://qlaboratories.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Q Laboratories is a Cincinnati-based contract testing laboratory founded in 1966 that provides microbiology, analytical chemistry, and stability testing for manufacturers in Personal Care, Pharmaceutical, Food Safety, Water Treatment, and Household Care industries from a single 30,000 sq. ft. campus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Analytical Testing Laboratory Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (541380), Medical Laboratories (621511), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (541690)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Medical Laboratories (8071), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Release Testing & Batch Certification (QC) (HLAGADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Microbiology & Infectious Disease Testing Laboratories (HLAFAMAD), Food Safety Certification Bodies (ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, BRCGS, SQF) (AFALAAAC), Quality Assurance/Quality Control & Accreditation (QA plans, proficiency testing, ISO/IEC 17025) (EUANAJAK)

Keywords

• Microbiological testing services
• Analytical chemistry testing
• Stability testing services
• Pharmaceutical testing laboratory
• Food safety testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Laboratory Testing Services: Core revenue stream from microbiology, analytical chemistry, and stability testing services for regulated industries. Services include pathogen detection, microbial limits testing, finished product release testing, shelf-life studies, challenge studies, and environmental monitoring. Revenue generated through per-test pricing based on method complexity and sample volume.
2. Training & Consulting Services: Specialized consulting services including laboratory training (Basic Microbiology, Basic Chemistry, Method Validation, Probiotic Testing, Legionella Test Methods), manufacturing training (Organism Risk Assessment, Utilities Monitoring, Cleaning & Sanitation), and quality/regulatory consulting (cGMP, Regulatory Requirements, Audits, OOS/OOT Results). Offered through virtual, classroom, and on-site formats.
3. Testing Supplies: Sale of laboratory testing supplies including IDEXX bottles, Culturette swabs, PUR-Blue dry swabs, TOC swabs, air settle plates, sponge samplers, sterile gloves, sample containers, and Legionella bottles. Supplies available for purchase directly through Q Laboratories to streamline client procurement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Q Laboratories is a fully accredited contract testing laboratory providing microbiology, analytical chemistry, and stability testing services from a single Cincinnati campus. The company serves five regulated industries — Personal Care, Prescription Drug, Food Safety, Water Treatment, and Household Care — with services spanning pathogen detection, microbial limits testing, finished product release testing, shelf-life and challenge studies, method development and validation, and ICH-compliant stability programs. Operations are supported by direct client access to subject matter experts, 25+ stability chambers, and a secure client portal for sample submission and result management.

Product overview

Q Laboratories is a fully accredited testing laboratory providing a comprehensive suite of microbiology, analytical chemistry, and stability testing services across five regulated industries: Personal Care, Prescription Drug, Food Safety, Water Treatment, and Household Care. The company's single-campus model integrates all testing capabilities—Microbiology Testing, Analytical Chemistry, Stability & Shelf-Life Testing—within one facility in Cincinnati, Ohio. Core testing services are organized by industry vertical (Prescription Drug Testing, Personal Care Testing, Food Safety Testing, Water Treatment Testing, Household Care Testing), supplemented by specialized R&D laboratories (Microbiology R&D Laboratory, Analytical Chemistry R&D Laboratory), Training & Consulting services, and Testing Supplies. Client-facing digital platforms include the Result Point Client Portal for sample submission and result management, with Q Connect (launching late 2026) as an upcoming modernization upgrade to the LIMS and sample submission process.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Microbiology Testing Comprehensive microbiological testing services including pathogen detection, microbial limits testing, antimicrobial effectiveness testing, environmental monitoring, and microbial identification using MALDI-TOF technology. Serves regulated industries including pharmaceutical, food safety, personal care, and water treatment.
• Analytical Chemistry GMP-compliant analytical chemistry testing including raw material qualification, finished product assays, method development and validation, residual solvents analysis, and elemental/contaminant analysis using HPLC, GC, ICP-MS, and other instrumentation.
• Stability & Shelf-Life Testing ICH-compliant stability studies including real-time, accelerated, intermediate, and freeze-thaw testing for pharmaceuticals, personal care, and food products, with over 25 stability chambers including walk-in capacity.
• Prescription Drug Testing End-to-end pharmaceutical testing services supporting raw materials, intermediates, and finished goods including QC and release testing, stability studies, and R&D for small molecules, APIs, excipients, OTC, and Rx drugs.
• Personal Care Testing GMP/GLP-compliant testing for cosmetics, skincare, haircare, and hygiene products including raw material qualification, finished goods testing, preservative challenge studies, stability studies, and FDA/MoCRA compliance support.
• Food Safety Testing Comprehensive food safety testing including pathogen detection, spoilage organism analysis, shelf-life and challenge studies, environmental monitoring, and food chemistry analysis supporting FSMA, USDA, and HACCP compliance.
• Water Treatment Testing Microbiological and chemical water testing services including Legionella detection (qPCR and cultural methods), ST108 compliance testing for healthcare facilities, and EPA-certified drinking water analysis.
• Household Care Testing Testing services for household and professional cleaning products including disinfectant efficacy testing, antimicrobial surface testing, performance claims support, and EPA/FDA compliance for detergents, sanitizers, and fabric care products.
• Training & Consulting Specialized training and consulting services including laboratory methods, GMP compliance, organism risk assessment, utilities monitoring, cleaning validation, and facility audits delivered virtually, classroom, or on-site.
• Testing Supplies Curated selection of laboratory testing supplies including IDEXX bottles, Culturette swabs, air settle plates, sponge samplers, sterile gloves, sample containers, and Legionella sampling bottles available for direct purchase.
• Result Point Client Portal Secure online client portal for sample submission, real-time sample tracking, report access, and electronic submission management.
• On-Site Sampling Services Professional on-site sampling services including environmental monitoring, air sampling, water sampling, and raw material sampling within a 90-mile radius of Cincinnati headquarters.

Quantifiable outcome

• Faster turnaround times through single-campus integrated operations
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Eurofins Scientific: The largest global contract testing group, operating microbiology, chemistry, and pharmaceutical release testing labs across the U.S. and worldwide. Direct functional overlap with Q Labs across pharma, food, personal care, and water, but at vastly greater scale and footprint.
• SGS: Global testing, inspection, and certification company with substantial food, pharma, and personal care testing services. Comparable in service breadth to Q Labs but with global geographic reach and enterprise-grade client relationships Q Labs cannot match.
• Bureau Veritas: International TIC group with agri-food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical testing services. Direct overlap with Q Labs' regulated-industry testing model, but with broader geographic distribution and a larger commercial backbone.
• Intertek: Global quality assurance provider covering food, pharma, and consumer products testing. Comparable in regulated-industry service mix, with multi-site lab network and enterprise sales motion that contrasts with Q Labs' single-campus model.
• Charles River Laboratories: Major life sciences services company with pharmaceutical and biological testing. Comparable in pharmaceutical release testing and stability services to Q Labs' prescription drug practice, with substantially broader scale and capabilities.
• ALS Limited: Global testing services provider with strong food, environmental, and life sciences testing. Overlaps with Q Labs' food, water, and pharmaceutical practices, with broader geographic reach and public-company governance.

Direct peers

• Pace Analytical: U.S.-based contract laboratory providing environmental, food, and life sciences testing across multiple regional service centers. Closest direct peer in service mix (microbiology + chemistry) and customer base, with broader geographic reach but similar mid-market positioning.
• Mérieux NutriSciences: Specialized food safety and quality testing provider with global lab network. Direct competitor in Q Labs' food safety vertical, with stronger food-only focus and larger international footprint.
• Microbac Laboratories: Privately held U.S. contract testing lab with multi-site microbiology and chemistry capabilities across food, environmental, and consumer products. Closest headcount/size peer to Q Labs with a more distributed footprint.
• Nelson Labs: Specialized contract testing lab focused on pharmaceutical and medical device microbiology, sterilization, and analytical chemistry. Direct competitor in Q Labs' pharmaceutical/personal care verticals, with a deeper specialty focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/q-laboratories
• Xx.com/qlaboratories
• Facebookfacebook.com/q-laboratories-312984685408359

Compliance12 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Q Laboratories