ESC Lab Sciences

What ESC Lab Sciences does

ESC Lab Sciences operates as Pace Analytical, a privately held, PE-backed national laboratory testing and contract development/manufacturing platform headquartered in Roseville, Minnesota. The company runs a dual-division structure: (1) an Analytical + Environmental division providing contaminant testing (PFAS, dioxins, PCBs, pesticides, metals, asbestos, Legionella, radiochemistry) across air, water, soil, and biota matrices for environmental consulting firms, government agencies (DOD, DOE, EPA), public utilities, healthcare systems, and industrial manufacturers; and (2) a Pace Life Sciences division operating as a CDMO offering drug product development, formulation, sterile fill-finish manufacturing, oral and topical manufacturing, ICH stability storage, GMP microbiology, extractables and leachables testing, impurity testing, and packaging/distribution testing for pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, and gene therapy clients.

The underlying technology base comprises state-of-the-art analytical instrumentation — HPLC, ICP-MS, GC-MS, UPLC-PDA-QTOF-MS, and atomic absorption spectroscopy — supported by extensive regulatory certifications (FDA-registered, DEA-registered, ISO/IEC 17025, ISO 9001, cGMP, A2LA, BSI, CETA) across more than 75 laboratory and service center locations in 35+ U.S. states plus Puerto Rico. The Life Sciences division operates dedicated GMP manufacturing facilities (Philadelphia, Salem, Oakdale, Ann Arbor/Wixom) plus regulatory/validation expertise acquired via the August 2022 acquisition of Meridian BioGroup (now Frederick, MD office).

Revenue mechanics are B2B professional services delivered through dedicated enterprise field sales teams for pharmaceutical/biotech, environmental, government, and industrial verticals, supplemented by local service centers serving mid-market customers. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, reflecting project-based and contract-based engagement typical of regulated testing and CDMO services. The company is a portfolio company of Aurora Capital Partners and Leonard Green & Partners, with Eric Roman serving as CEO and Greg Kupp overseeing Pace Life Sciences operations.

Name

ESC Lab Sciences

Legal name

Pace Analytical Services, Inc.

Website

https://pacenational.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Short description

ESC Lab Sciences (operating as Pace Analytical) is a PE-backed national laboratory testing and pharmaceutical CDMO platform operating 75+ facilities across 35+ U.S. states, serving pharmaceutical/biotech, environmental, government, healthcare, and industrial clients with regulated analytical and manufacturing services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental and Analytical Testing Services

NAICS

Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412), Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing (32541)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Monitoring & Cleanroom Testing (GMP) (HLAGADAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Laboratory Testing & Analytical Services (in-house/contract labs; microbiology, metals, organics) (EUANAJAB), Water Sampling, Testing & Laboratory Analysis (Legionella/Microbiology) (BPABAJAB), Occupational Exposure Laboratory Services (Analytical Testing & Chain-of-Custody) (EUAHAGAL)

Keywords

• Environmental testing services
• Analytical laboratory services
• Pharmaceutical CDMO services
• Microbiology testing services
• Regulatory compliance consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Minnesota City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 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. Analytical Testing Services: GMP analytical testing services including raw materials testing, ICH stability storage, microbiology testing, packaging and distribution testing, extractables and leachables testing, impurity testing, and reference standards.
2. CDMO/Clinical Manufacturing: Contract development and manufacturing organization services including drug product development, formulation, process development, clinical materials manufacturing, and sterile fill-finish capabilities for pharmaceutical and biotech companies.
3. Validation and Compliance Consulting: Validation master planning, facility/utility/process equipment validation, computer systems validation, and regulatory compliance consulting services supporting FDA-regulated pharmaceutical and biotech operations.
4. Professional Services: Scientific staffing, laboratory instrument maintenance and repair, calibration services, cleanroom certification, environmental monitoring, and laboratory relocation services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ESC Lab Sciences operates as part of a national laboratory testing network providing analytical and environmental testing services for contaminants including PFAS, dioxins, PCBs, pesticides, metals, asbestos, and Legionella across air, water, soil, and biota matrices. The company also provides contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) services for pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical clients, including drug product development, sterile fill-finish manufacturing, and clinical materials manufacturing under GMP-compliant conditions.

Product overview

Pace Analytical operates as a dual-division organization offering (1) Analytical + Environmental Testing Services and (2) Pace Life Sciences CDMO services. The Analytical + Environmental division provides comprehensive testing across air, water, soil, and biota matrices for contaminants including PFAS, dioxins, PCBs, pesticides, metals, and microorganisms. The Life Sciences division provides full-service CDMO capabilities including drug product development and manufacturing (sterile fill-finish, oral/topical), analytical testing (raw materials, stability, microbiology, packaging), regulatory and operational support, and medical device testing. The company operates a national network of GMP-compliant facilities across the United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Keeping Pace: Corporate blog covering regulatory updates, test methods and industry insights
• PacePort
• Pace Emergency Services

Products and services

• Pace Analytical Services (Analytical + Environmental Testing)
• Pace Life Sciences CDMO Services
• Drug Product Development and Manufacturing
• ICH Stability Storage Services
• Microbiology Testing Services
• Packaging and Distribution Testing
• Extractables and Leachables Testing
• Impurity Testing and Control
• Medical Device Testing
• Validation and Compliance Services
• Environmental Monitoring Services
• Laboratory Relocation Services

Quantifiable outcome

• UCMR-approved laboratory with state accreditations in every state with a lab approval program
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Meridian BioGroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 August 2022Pace Life Sciences acquired Meridian BioGroup in August 2022 to expand regulatory, compliance, and validation capabilities. Meridian specializes in regulatory affairs, quality assurance, validation master planning, facility/utility/process equipment validation, and computer systems validation services for biotech and pharmaceutical clients. The acquisition enables Pace to provide end-to-end support from regulatory strategy through commercialization.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Eurofins Scientific: Global leader in environmental, pharmaceutical, and food testing laboratory services. Directly comparable as a multi-division contract testing platform serving overlapping pharma, environmental, and government clients with similar analytical capabilities.
• ALS Limited: Australia-based testing services firm with a large US environmental and life sciences laboratory footprint. Directly comparable environmental testing capabilities (water, soil, air, PFAS) and similar business mix of asset-light analytical services for government and industrial clients.
• Charles River Laboratories: Major contract research and CDMO organization serving pharmaceutical and biotech clients with manufacturing and laboratory services. Highly comparable to Pace Life Sciences on the GMP analytical testing and CDMO side, with deeper biologics and early-discovery capabilities.
• Catalent: Large global CDMO focused on formulation, clinical and commercial manufacturing, and oral / sterile dose forms. Directly comparable to Pace Life Sciences' pharmaceutical development and clinical manufacturing business, though at much larger scale and broader therapeutic reach.

Broad incumbents

• SGS SA: One of the world's largest testing, inspection, and certification companies with broad environmental, life sciences, and industrial testing offerings. Comparable to Pace at the portfolio level, though SGS is significantly larger and more diversified across non-overlapping TIC categories.
• Bureau Veritas: Global TIC player with commodity, environmental, and agri-food laboratory testing operations. Overlaps with Pace in environmental testing and certification services while operating at significantly larger scale across marine, offshore, and construction verticals.
• Intertek Group: Global TIC company with environmental, pharmaceutical, and product testing services. Comparable to Pace's environmental and analytical testing lines, though Intertek spans a much broader portfolio including consumer goods and energy inspection.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific (PPD): Parent of PPD, a top global CRO/CDMO, plus a leading analytical instruments business used by testing labs. Comparable to Pace Life Sciences on the CDMO/CRO side and indirectly comparable via the analytical instruments its subsidiary sells into testing laboratories like Pace's.

Emerging players

• ICON plc: Global CRO providing clinical research and laboratory services to pharma and biotech. Overlaps with Pace Life Sciences on analytical and central lab testing supporting clinical trials, though more focused on clinical operations than CDMO manufacturing.
• WuXi AppTec: China-headquartered CRO/CDMO providing discovery, development, and manufacturing services. Comparable to Pace Life Sciences on the pharma services side, particularly lab testing and CDMO, with a strong but increasingly scrutinized global client base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/PaceLabs
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/PaceLabsInc
• Facebookfacebook.com/PaceLabsUSA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pacenational
• Instagraminstagram.com/pace.labs

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 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 ESC Lab Sciences