Chicago Testing Laboratory

What Chicago Testing Laboratory does

Chicago Testing Laboratory, Inc. (CTL) is a privately held construction materials testing and inspection laboratory, headquartered in a 7,500-square-foot AMRL-, CCRL- and IDOT-accredited facility in Warrenville, Illinois. Founded in 1912 as Chicago Paving Laboratory and renamed under the ownership of ASTM-recognized pioneer Gene Abson in 1930, the company has spent more than a century building authority in the testing of asphalt and asphalt materials, liquids, aggregates, concrete and soils, including authorship of the Abson Recovery Test (ASTM D1856) and an active role in developing the Illinois Flexibility Index Test (I-FIT). Its offering spans field and laboratory testing and inspection, QC/QA management, geotechnical and construction inspection consulting, mix and pavement design (HMA, PCC, soils stabilization), specialty procedures such as Hamburg Wheel and Laser Profiling, plus IDOT-affiliated training delivered in partnership with Lake Land College and broader R&D participation in national task groups.

CTL monetizes through project-based professional services engagements — testing, inspection, consulting and training — delivered via direct enterprise field sales to construction firms, engineering consultants, and government transportation agencies including the Illinois Department of Transportation and, since 2016, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The company operates from four offices (Warrenville HQ, Indianapolis, McHenry, Elk Grove Village) and supports a wholly owned family of acquired brands — Chicago Paper Testing (paper testing, 1959), Indianapolis Testing Laboratory (2001), Schleede-Hampton and Associates of Illinois (2004), and the merged JFG Technical Center (2000) — with senior technical staff averaging over 25 years of industry experience. Pricing is quote-driven on multi-year contracts for B2B clients, and customer logos, contract sizes, headcount changes and revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Chicago Testing Laboratory

Legal name

Chicago Testing Laboratory, Inc.

Website

https://chicagotestinglab.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1912

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chicago Testing Laboratory is a privately held, accredited construction materials testing and inspection laboratory in Warrenville, Illinois, serving construction firms, engineering consultants, and government transportation agencies with field and lab testing, consulting, training, and R&D for asphalt, concrete, soils, and aggregates.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Warrenville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Testing Services: Full-service testing and inspection of construction materials including asphalt, liquids, aggregates, concrete and soils. Includes field testing and laboratory testing capabilities.
2. Consulting Services: Geotechnical engineering consulting, construction inspection, materials evaluation, pavement evaluation, specification guidance and review.
3. Training Services: Laboratory and classroom training, IDOT Quality Management Training Program certification, tailored training programs nationwide.
4. Research and Development: R&D projects and support, analytics, participation in local and national task groups and committees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Chicago Testing Laboratory provides construction materials testing, inspection, and engineering consulting services for soil, concrete, asphalt, and aggregates. The firm also offers geotechnical engineering, applied research, and training programs for the construction industry, with operations across Illinois and Indiana.

Product overview

Chicago Testing Laboratory (CTL) is a full-service construction materials testing and inspection laboratory offering a comprehensive portfolio of services. The company operates as a unified service provider with multiple divisions and regional offices including Chicago Paper Testing (paper and paper-related products division) and Indianapolis Testing Laboratory (Indiana operations). Core offerings include quality control and quality assurance, engineering services, design services, and specialized testing for concrete, hot mix asphalt, soils, and aggregates. Additional services encompass training programs (in partnership with Lake Land College for IDOT certification) and research and development. The company provides testing services for asphalt materials, liquids, aggregates, concrete, and soils, along with consulting in geotechnical engineering and construction inspection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Construction Materials Testing Laboratory testing of soil, concrete, asphalt, and aggregate materials for construction projects, with results used for quality control, specification compliance, and engineering decisions.
• Construction Inspection On-site inspection services for construction projects to verify compliance with project specifications, codes, and quality standards.
• Geotechnical Engineering Geotechnical engineering services including subsurface investigation and analysis to support foundation, earthwork, and site design decisions on construction projects.
• Engineering Consulting Engineering consulting for construction projects, providing technical expertise, recommendations, and applied research support to clients in the construction industry.
• Quality Assurance Training Training programs for construction industry professionals on quality assurance practices and materials testing procedures.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 years of continuous operation and expertise in construction materials testing

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Schleede-Hampton and Associates of IllinoisminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004CTL purchased Schleede-Hampton and Associates of Illinois and incorporated their staff and facilities into the CTL family of companies. This expanded CTL expertise in soils, geotechnical, construction materials testing and inspection.
• JFG Technical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000JFG Technical Center merged with CTL in 2000, expanding CTL's expertise in asphalt materials including liquids testing and HMA mixture designs. This was originally established in conjunction with Lake Land College.
• Lake Land CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1997In conjunction with Lake Land College, JFG Technical Center became the northern training facility for the Illinois Department of Transportation's Quality Control/Quality Assurance certification program. CTL continues to offer laboratory and classroom training for the IDOT Quality Management Training Program in partnership with Lake Land College.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• SGS: World's largest TIC company with construction materials testing capabilities; a global incumbent peer competing in asphalt, concrete, and soils testing services.
• Bureau Veritas: International TIC firm with construction materials and infrastructure testing services; an incumbent competitor for federal and large commercial testing programs.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting firm whose construction services division performs construction materials testing and inspection for large public and private projects — a much larger incumbent competing for the same DOT/USACE work.
• Stantec: International engineering and consulting firm with geotechnical and construction materials testing practices; broad incumbent competing in the same DOT and private developer bid pool.
• Intertek: Global TIC (testing, inspection, certification) company with a construction services division offering construction materials and asphalt testing at scale; competes with CTL on multi-region RFPs.
• WSP: Global engineering consultancy with materials testing and construction inspection services as part of its earth & environment practice; competes for large transportation infrastructure programs.
• Element Materials Technology: Global materials testing and product qualification provider with a built environment practice; broader scope but directly comparable in construction materials testing.

Direct peers

• Terracon Consultants: Large U.S. employee-owned geotechnical and construction materials testing firm with nationwide footprint; directly competes with CTL for DOT, federal, and private construction materials testing work.
• Braun Intertec: Midwest-anchored engineering and testing firm offering construction materials testing, geotechnical, and environmental services; competes head-to-head with CTL across Illinois, Indiana, and surrounding states.

Emerging players

• Geosyntec Consultants: Specialty geotechnical and environmental engineering firm with growing construction materials testing capabilities; competes with CTL on complex infrastructure and environmental projects.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chicago-testing-laboratory-inc
• Xx.com/CHITestingLab
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries4 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 Chicago Testing Laboratory