Hill Labs
Hill Labs is New Zealand's largest privately owned analytical testing laboratory, providing accredited agriculture, environmental, and food testing services across six nationwide locations to farmers, food producers, exporters, and regulators.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1984
- HeadquartersHamilton, New Zealand
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Hill Labs does
Hill Labs is New Zealand's largest privately owned analytical testing laboratory, operating across six locations nationwide (Hamilton headquarters plus Auckland, Wellington, Tauranga, Christchurch, and Blenheim) with over 500 employees. Founded in 1984 by Dr. Roger and Anne Hill and now led by Managing Director Dr. Jonno Hill alongside CEO Peter Lord, the company provides accredited analytical testing across three core verticals—Agriculture (soil, plant, feed, and crop testing), Environmental (water, air, mould, and contaminated site analysis), and Food (microbiology, chemistry, nutritional, pesticide residues, and export certification testing). Its technology stack centres on established analytical instrumentation including LCMSMS (Liquid Chromatography with Tandem Mass Spectrometry), PCR and qPCR, Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS), and ELISA, with proprietary method development including award-winning purification systems for pesticide residue extraction and novel environmental DNA (eDNA) testing for biodiversity monitoring.
The company's commercial model is predominantly usage-based analytical services revenue, priced per test or test profile with both standard and premium urgent-service turnaround tiers, complemented by recurring inspection and certification revenue under ISO 17020. Go-to-market combines direct sales through dedicated Client Services Managers per sector, a self-service online portal (mylab) for ordering and result tracking, nationwide physical sample drop-off points, and active industry-event participation (Fieldays). Distribution is single-country domestic, focused on NZ's regulated primary industries—agriculture, dairy, honey (including manuka export certification), wine (notably Marlborough), and kiwifruit—plus secondary lines in drug testing and asbestos analysis. In 2025, Hill Labs expanded through a strategic joint venture with Sam Brooks to unify and scale inspection and certification capabilities formerly spread across three predecessor entities, and in 2026 is launching a new raw milk testing service from a purpose-built Hamilton laboratory to capture high-volume dairy collection work.
Hill Labs firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hill Labs
- Legal name
- R J Hill Laboratories
- Website
- https://hill-labs.co.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1984
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Hill Labs is New Zealand's largest privately owned analytical testing laboratory, providing accredited agriculture, environmental, and food testing services across six nationwide locations to farmers, food producers, exporters, and regulators.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hill Labs industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Analytical Testing Laboratory Services
- NAICS
- Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)
- SIC
- Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Agricultural Services (700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Food Testing Laboratories (Microbiological, Chemical, Allergen) (AFALAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Pesticide Residue & Agrochemical Screening Services (Soil/Plant/Water) (AFACAKAF), Forage & Feed Testing Services (Silage, Hay, Pasture) (AFACAKAM), Environmental Monitoring & Hygiene Verification (Swabs, ATP, Pathogen Monitoring) (AFALAAAE), Laboratory Testing & Analytical Services (in-house/contract labs; microbiology, metals, organics) (EUANAJAB), Food Safety Certification Bodies (ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, BRCGS, SQF) (AFALAAAC)
Keywords
Where Hill Labs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hamilton
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices6 records
Markets served
Hill Labs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Analytical Laboratory Testing Services: Core revenue stream from analytical testing services across multiple sectors including Agriculture (soil, plant, feed), Environmental (water, air, mould), and Food (microbiology, chemistry, nutritional). Services include routine testing with standard turnaround times and urgent service options.
- Inspection and Certification Services: Provides independent inspection and certification services including food safety verification, dairy manufacturing audits, apiculture compliance, and territorial authority support, integrated with laboratory testing.
- Specialized Honey Testing: Comprehensive manuka honey testing including Manuka 5 Attributes, UMF Release Certificates, MGO/DHA/HMF testing, and export compliance testing with industry-leading turnaround times.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Testing Services |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Honey Testing - Routine vs Urgent Service |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Hill Labs product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hill Labs is New Zealand's largest privately owned analytical testing laboratory, providing laboratory data and analytical services across three core sectors: Agriculture (soil, plant, crop, and feed testing), Environmental (water, air, mould, and eDNA testing), and Food (microbiology, chemistry, pesticide residues, and nutritional testing). The company also delivers independent nationwide inspection, auditing, and certification services under ISO 17020 accreditation, covering food manufacturing, dairy manufacturing, apiculture, and territorial authority support, supported by a mylab online portal for self-service sample submission and result tracking.
Product overview
Hill Labs operates as a multi-service laboratory platform offering analytical testing across agriculture, environmental, and food sectors, along with integrated inspection and certification services. The core portfolio includes Asbestos Testing, Drugs of Abuse Testing, Feed Testing, Food Testing, Microbiology Testing, Plant and Crop Testing, Soil Testing, Water Testing, Wine and Beverage Testing, Honey Testing, and Other Testing services. These services are complemented by Inspection & Certification services covering food manufacturing, dairy manufacturing, apiculture, territorial authorities, and building management. The mylab portal provides a digital interface for ordering tests, viewing results, and managing sample submissions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Asbestos Testing IANZ accredited analysis and reporting of suspected asbestos containing materials, asbestos in soil, and asbestos fibre counting, performed in accordance with Western Australian and Australian NEPM standards for property managers, consultants, and regulators.
- Drugs of Abuse Testing Accredited drug and alcohol testing services including methamphetamine contamination testing in dwellings and workplace urine drug testing for property managers, employers, and agencies.
- Feed Testing Feed testing profiles using Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR) for pasture and forage crops, silage quality, compound feeds, and nitrate feed testing, serving pastoral farmers and livestock nutrition assessment needs.
- Food Testing Complete laboratory food testing and analysis for aquaculture and fish, cereal and grain, fruit and vegetable, meat, food pesticide residues, processed food, and honey, including microbiological, chemical, and nutritional testing for food manufacturers, processors, and exporters.
- Microbiology Testing Accredited microbiology testing across raw material to finished product samples, including molecular and food microbiology, environmental and water microbiology, and 3-in-1 and 4-in-1 swab testing using Tempo and PCR technology.
- Plant and Crop Testing Tests for New Zealand-based growers covering agricultural plant and crop testing, horticultural kiwifruit, horticultural avocado, medicinal cannabis, and hemp testing.
- Soil Testing Comprehensive soil testing including agricultural and horticultural soil, organic farming soil, contaminated soil, and earthworm eDNA testing using qPCR for soil health assessment.
- Water Testing New Zealand's largest water testing laboratory offering drinking water testing aligned with Drinking Water Standards for New Zealand, agricultural water testing, environmental DNA (eDNA) water testing, and specialized testing for bottled water, swimming pools, spa pools, and winery water.
- Wine and Beverage Testing Comprehensive wine testing from vine to glass including soil testing for vineyards, plant testing for vineyards, winery water and wastewater testing, grape leaf roll virus testing, wine pesticide residues testing, grape juice must testing, wine composition and basic wine chemistry, wine micro testing, export wine testing, and spirits, beer, cider and kombucha testing for wineries, grape growers, and beverage producers.
- Honey Testing Extensive honey and bee product tests including Manuka 5 Attributes testing (chemical and DNA markers), UMF Release Certificate, 3-in-1 Honey Suite, leptosperin testing, tutin testing, American Foulbrood (AFB) testing, C4 Sugar testing, and glyphosate testing for beekeepers, honey producers, and exporters.
- Other Testing Additional testing services including mould testing, air quality testing, effluent testing, surface and swab testing, and compost and media testing.
- Inspection and Certification Services Nationwide inspection, auditing and advisory services including food manufacturing verification, dairy manufacturing auditing, apiculture certification, territorial authorities support, and building management services, delivered under ISO 17020 accreditation.
- Raw Milk Testing Service Independent laboratory services for raw milk collection and analysis covering raw milk composition, quality and chemistry testing, supporting New Zealand's dairy sector from a purpose-built laboratory at the Hamilton site.
- mylab Online Portal Online self-service portal enabling customers to submit samples, track job progress, access test results, request amendments, order sampling supplies, and view customized test catalogues including custom 3-in-1 forecasts for honey testing.
Quantifiable outcome
- Nearly 100% on-time turnaround rate for honey testing
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Hill Labs
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Hill Labs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Hill Labs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Sam BrookscoreIn 2025, Hill Labs expanded service offerings through a strategic joint venture with Sam Brooks, enhancing capabilities in inspection and certification services. Samuel Brooks leads the Inspection & Certification Leadership Team as Chief Executive Officer.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Hill Labs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Intertek: Global quality assurance and testing provider with agri-food and environmental testing capabilities serving similar enterprise customers across multiple jurisdictions including the Australasian region.
- SGS: World's largest testing, inspection, and certification company with operations across NZ; offers similar food, environmental, and agricultural testing capabilities as part of a much broader global portfolio.
- Bureau Veritas: Global testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) incumbent with agri-food and environmental testing services overlapping with Hill Labs' core offerings, including NZ operations.
- Eurofins: Global leader in food, environmental, pharmaceutical, and clinical testing with operations across NZ; broader portfolio but overlapping capabilities with Hill Labs in food residue, microbiology, and environmental testing.
Regional players
- Symbio Laboratories: Australia-based commercial testing laboratory providing food, water, environmental, and soil testing services with a comparable service mix to Hill Labs but primarily serving the Australian market.
Emerging players
- Cawthron Institute: New Zealand's largest independent marine science and aquaculture research organization with growing commercial testing services in water quality, biotoxins, and aquaculture that intersect with Hill Labs' environmental and food testing portfolios.
Direct peers
- ALS Limited: Australia-headquartered global testing services company with similar asset-light lab testing business model and significant NZ presence in food, environmental, and life sciences testing - closest comparable by structure and scale.
- Analytica Laboratories: New Zealand-based commercial testing laboratory offering food, water, honey, and environmental testing; a smaller but directly comparable competitor operating within Hill Labs' core NZ market.
- AsureQuality: New Zealand state-owned food and agricultural testing and inspection company; the closest direct competitor to Hill Labs in NZ with overlapping food, agriculture, and biosecurity testing services across similar enterprise customers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Hill Labs social profiles
Digital presenceHill Labs compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance8 records
Hill Labs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hill Labs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Hill Labs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hill Labs M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hill Labs
What does Hill Labs do?
Hill Labs is New Zealand's largest privately owned analytical testing laboratory, providing laboratory data and analytical services across three core sectors: Agriculture (soil, plant, crop, and feed testing), Environmental (water, air, mould, and eDNA testing), and Food (microbiology, chemistry, pesticide residues, and nutritional testing). The company also delivers independent nationwide inspection, auditing, and certification services under ISO 17020 accreditation, covering food manufacturing, dairy manufacturing, apiculture, and territorial authority support, supported by a mylab online portal for self-service sample submission and result tracking.
Is Hill Labs a public or private company?
Hill Labs is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Hill Labs founded?
Hill Labs was founded in 1984. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Hill Labs based?
Hill Labs is headquartered in Hamilton, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Hill Labs make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Analytical Laboratory Testing Services are the primary driver. The others are inspection and Certification Services and specialized Honey Testing.
Who are Hill Labs's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Intertek, SGS, Bureau Veritas and Eurofins. Symbio Laboratories is listed as a regional player. Cawthron Institute is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are ALS Limited, Analytica Laboratories and AsureQuality.
Does Hill Labs have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hill Labs.
What industry is Hill Labs in?
Hill Labs's product category is Analytical Testing Laboratory Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFALAAAA, Food Testing Laboratories (Microbiological, Chemical, Allergen), with a secondary code of AFACAKAF, Pesticide Residue & Agrochemical Screening Services (Soil/Plant/Water). Its NAICS code is 54138 and its SIC code is 8734.