What McClelland Laboratories does

McClelland Laboratories is a private, for-profit metallurgical testing laboratory headquartered in Sparks, Nevada. Founded in 1987 by Gene E. McClelland, the firm employs 51–100 people and provides metallurgical, environmental, consulting, and analytical services to mining and resource companies across all mineral markets. Its core work supports pre-feasibility and feasibility study metallurgical testing, mineral processing evaluation, heap leach testing, and SXEW (solvent extraction and electrowinning) process analysis — the technical inputs that mining companies need to demonstrate project viability to investors and lenders.

The business operates on a professional services model, delivering project-based metallurgical testing on a fee-for-service basis rather than selling software or equipment. Its primary customer segment is enterprise mining and resource companies conducting exploration and development projects. The value proposition centers on independence: as an external laboratory, McClelland produces defensible third-party metallurgical data required for project financing, reserve estimation, and process design decisions.

The company's go-to-market is direct and relationship-driven, with engagements sourced through the founder and technical staff's industry network rather than disclosed marketing channels. No pricing is publicly disclosed, no funding rounds have been reported, and no parent company or subsidiaries are documented. The available evidence base is thin — the firm's own website (mettest.com) renders only a loading page in the source data, and most firmographic detail comes from a single third-party news reference regarding its work for Arizona Sonoran Copper Company's Cactus Project.

Name

McClelland Laboratories

Website

https://mettest.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

McClelland Laboratories is a Sparks, Nevada-based independent metallurgical testing laboratory founded in 1987, providing pre-feasibility and feasibility-stage metallurgical, environmental, and analytical services to mining and resource companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mining Laboratory Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Metal Mining (213114), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Testing Laboratories and Services (541380)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Precious Metals Assaying, Metallurgical Testing & Certification (IMAKAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Laboratory Testing & Analytical Services (in-house/contract labs; microbiology, metals, organics) (EUANAJAB)

Keywords

• Metallurgical testing services
• Mining laboratory services
• Mineral processing analysis
• Environmental consulting
• Analytical services

Headquarters

HQ city

Sparks

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Metallurgical Testing Services: Provides metallurgical testing and analysis services to mining companies, typically on a project-by-project basis for feasibility studies and resource evaluation.

Core offering

McClelland Laboratories provides metallurgical, environmental, consulting, and analytical laboratory services to mining and mineral resource companies. The firm conducts testing such as heap leach and SXEW (solvent extraction and electrowinning) process analysis to support pre-feasibility and feasibility studies for mining projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Metallurgical Testing Services
• Heap Leach Testing
• SXEW Process Analysis
• Environmental Consulting Services
• Analytical Services

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Arizona Sonoran Copper CompanynotableImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMcClelland Laboratories Inc. conducted metallurgical testing for Arizona Sonoran's Cactus Project Pre-Feasibility Study, including comprehensive testing supporting the heap leach-SXEW operation design for the copper project in Arizona.

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights1 record

Direct peers

• Kappes, Cassiday & Associates (KCA): KCA is a privately held metallurgical and engineering firm specializing in precious metals and heap leach testing—directly comparable to McClelland on heap leach and SXEW process testwork used in PFS/FS studies.
• Met-Solve Laboratories: Met-Solve is a private mineral processing laboratory offering metallurgical and comminution testwork to mining clients, including PFS/FS testing. It is a near-direct specialty competitor to McClelland in metallurgical testing services.
• Resource Development Inc (RDi): RDi provides metallurgical testing, mineral processing development, and pilot plant services to mining clients. It is a direct specialty competitor to McClelland for project-based metallurgical and process testwork.
• Hazen Research: Hazen Research is an independent contract research laboratory providing metallurgical, chemical, and process testing to mining and resource clients, very similar in scope and customer type to McClelland Labs. It is a tightly comparable independent, specialty mineral testing lab.

Broad incumbents

• Intertek Group: Intertek's Minerals services include metallurgical and mineral testing for exploration, feasibility, and production-stage mining clients. It is a multinational lab services peer but with a broader testing portfolio beyond McClelland's mining focus.
• Bureau Veritas: Bureau Veritas operates an extensive Minerals & Metals testing business covering assaying, metallurgy, and environmental analysis. It competes with McClelland for project-based mining laboratory work while also serving broader commodity inspection markets.
• ALS Limited: ALS is one of the world's largest commercial testing services networks with a dedicated Minerals/Geochemistry division offering metallurgical, assaying, and environmental testing to mining clients. It overlaps with McClelland's core mineral testing scope but operates globally at far greater scale.
• SGS SA: SGS Natural Resources division provides metallurgical testing, mineral processing, and environmental services to mining companies worldwide. It is a direct competitor for PFS/FS testwork programs but is far larger and serves a multinational client base.
• FLSmidth: FLSmidth is a global mining technology and equipment supplier that also runs metallurgical test centers supporting process design for mining projects. It is comparable to McClelland through its ore characterization and metallurgical lab offerings, though it is much broader (equipment + services).

Emerging players

• Thiele Kaolin Company (testing lab) - referenced as Thiele's Process Mineralogy/Engineering Lab: Thiele and similar mineral/industrial testing labs provide process mineralogy and metallurgical services to mining and industrial mineral clients. These are smaller or specialty labs whose offerings partially overlap with McClelland's metallurgical testing menu.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 McClelland Laboratories