Riverbank Acoustical Laboratories

What Riverbank Acoustical Laboratories does

Riverbank Acoustical Laboratories (RAL), founded in 1918 by Wallace Clement Sabine — the father of modern architectural acoustics — is a privately held, NVLAP-accredited acoustical testing laboratory operating as a subsidiary of Catalyst Acoustics Group (legal entity: Sound Seal Inc.) from a single facility at 627 Riverbank Drive, Geneva, Illinois. RAL conducts certified testing and analysis of sound transmission, absorption, and intensity for building materials and consumer products, executing principal tests in six reverberation chambers monitored from a central control room. Testing services follow ASTM and ISO standards including ASTM C423, E90, E413, E492, E336, E596, and ISO 354, 3741, and 23351, producing STC, NRC, IIC, OITC, and sound power ratings accepted in commercial, civilian, and military specifications worldwide. The laboratory is staffed by a small team (1-10 employees) led by Lab Manager Eric Wolfram and Senior Experimentalist Mark Sciaky, with on-site machine and tool shop capabilities for custom specimen fabrication.

The company's service portfolio spans chamber-based sound absorption, sound transmission loss, impact sound transmission, outdoor-indoor transmission class, sound power level measurement, reference sound source calibration, impedance tube testing, and sound isolation enclosure testing, plus field testing, laboratory rental, and custom non-standard test procedures. RAL holds NVLAP Lab Code 100227-0 (NIST), ISO 17025:2017 quality management system compliance, UL Data Acceptance Program accreditation, and City of Los Angeles Department of Building & Safety accreditation — credentials that make its reports the de facto reference for architectural specifications. Customers include ROCKWOOL, Carnegie, Element Material Technology, ASC Profiles, and the University of Georgia Performing Arts Center.

Revenue is generated under a direct-sales, professional-services model: customers contact RAL by phone or mail, purchase orders are submitted and acknowledged, and formal written test reports are delivered within one week of testing, with same-day results printed and next-day testing available for a premium fee. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is quoted on request (contact Eric Wolfram at 630-232-0104), with Net 30 terms. Supporting revenue lines include laboratory rental (hourly/daily), educational webinars, the self-sponsored Novelty Testing Program (publishing open-access data on commodity materials), and consulting on equipment vibration isolation, noise abatement, and active silencing. The go-to-market combines direct sales with content marketing via the Riverbank Acoustics Journal blog, social channels, email newsletter, and a downloadable resources library, while distribution is direct-to-customer with no intermediaries.

Name

Riverbank Acoustical Laboratories

Legal name

Sound Seal Inc.

Website

https://riverbankacoustics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1918

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Riverbank Acoustical Laboratories is a 1918-founded, NVLAP-accredited acoustical testing laboratory in Geneva, Illinois that certifies sound absorption, transmission, and impact performance of building materials and consumer products for manufacturers, government agencies, and design professionals worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Geneva

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Accredited Acoustical Testing Services: Certified testing and analysis for sound transmission, absorption, and intensity for building materials and consumer products. Services include NRC tests, E90 testing, STC tests, and other acoustical testing. Test results and reports delivered immediately following test completion, with formal written reports within one week.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Riverbank Acoustical Laboratories provides NVLAP-accredited, fee-based acoustical testing services for building materials and consumer products. Core tests include sound absorption (NRC/Sabin/Coefficient), sound transmission loss (STC), impact sound transmission (IIC), outdoor-indoor transmission class (OITC), sound power, sound pressure, dB(A), impedance tube, field sound transmission, reference sound source calibration, and sound isolation enclosure testing, conducted in six reverberation chambers per ASTM and ISO standards. Supporting offerings include laboratory rental, non-standard custom test procedures, and noise/vibration solutions.

Product overview

Riverbank Acoustical Laboratories (RAL) offers accredited acoustical testing services as a single unified laboratory service offering, not a software platform. The core offering comprises NVLAP-accredited testing services conducted in multiple reverberation chambers and specialized facilities. Services include sound absorption testing (NRC/Sabin/Coefficient per ASTM C423, E795, ISO 354), sound transmission loss testing (STC per ASTM E90, E413, SAE J1400, ISO 10140-3), impact sound transmission testing (IIC per ASTM E492, E989), outdoor-indoor transmission class testing (OITC per ASTM E1332), field sound transmission testing (ASTM E336, E1007), sound power level measurement (ANSI S12.51, ISO 3741), reference sound sources calibration (ANSI S12.5, ISO 6926), impedance tube testing (ASTM E1050, E2611), and sound isolation enclosures testing (ASTM E596, ISO 23351-1). Supporting services include non-standard test procedures for unique specimens, laboratory rental, equipment vibration isolation solutions, noise abatement, and active silencing. RAL also operates an Education Series of webinars and the Novelty Testing Program for self-sponsored tests of commodity materials. The company tests a wide range of products including acoustical doors, windows, flooring, ceiling systems, wall panels, insulation, and consumer appliances.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sound Absorption Testing (NRC, Sabin, Coefficient) Testing service measuring sound absorption coefficients in reverberation chambers, providing Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC), Sabin, and absorption coefficient metrics per ASTM C423, E795, and ISO 354. Used by building material manufacturers for product specification and code compliance.
• Sound Transmission Loss Testing (STC) Testing service measuring airborne sound blocking capability and providing Sound Transmission Class (STC) ratings per ASTM E90, E413, SAE J1400, and ISO 10140-3. Used by manufacturers of walls, doors, windows, and glazing for architectural specification.
• Impact Sound Transmission Testing (IIC) Testing service measuring impact sound transmission through floor/ceiling assemblies and providing Impact Isolation Class (IIC) ratings per ASTM E492 and E989. Used by flooring and ceiling system manufacturers.
• Outdoor-Indoor Transmission Class Testing (OITC) Testing service measuring sound transmission from outdoor sources through building envelopes per ASTM E1332. Used by building envelope and facade product manufacturers.
• Field Sound Transmission Testing On-site airborne sound testing (Field STC) per ASTM E336 and impact noise testing (Field IIC) per ASTM E1007 for actual building installations. Performed at remote locations by Riverbank staff.
• Sound Power Level Measurement Measurement of sound power levels emitted by products and equipment per ANSI S12.51 and ISO 3741. Used by consumer product and equipment manufacturers for noise certification and marketing claims.
• Reference Sound Sources Calibration Calibration service for reference sound sources per ANSI S12.5 and ISO 6926. Used by laboratories and equipment manufacturers requiring calibrated reference sources for in-house testing.
• Impedance Tube Testing Small-sample testing service for sound absorption (ASTM E1050) and sound transmission loss (ASTM E2611) measurements. Used by materials manufacturers needing smaller specimens to be characterized quickly.
• Sound Isolation Enclosures Testing Testing service for sound isolation enclosures per ASTM E596 (Lab NIC), ISO 23351-1 (DS, A), and ASTM E336 (Field NIC) standards. Used by manufacturers of acoustic enclosures, booths, and privacy pods.
• Non-Standard Test Procedures Custom-designed test procedures for unique specimens or unusual acoustical investigations beyond standard test methods. Used by manufacturers and researchers with non-standard specimen configurations or test objectives.
• Laboratory Rental Rental of test chambers, instrumentation, and staff on hourly or daily basis to private individuals, manufacturers, or acoustical consultants for R&D testing. Used by clients needing direct access to reverberation chambers and equipment without a full-service test engagement.
• Equipment Vibration Isolation and Noise Abatement Solutions Custom solutions for equipment vibration isolation, noise abatement, and active silencing developed by Riverbank staff. Used by clients seeking engineering solutions beyond standardized testing.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Catalyst Acoustics GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company of Riverbank Acoustical Laboratories. Riverbank operates as a Catalyst Acoustics Group Company. Located at 50 H.P. Almgren Drive, Agawam, MA 01001. Catalyst Acoustics Group provides strategic direction and operational oversight for the acoustics testing business.
• Sound Seal Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSound Seal Inc. dba Riverbank Acoustical Laboratories is the legal operating name under which Riverbank conducts business. The company structure identifies Sound Seal Inc. as the parent/operating entity for the RAL brand.
• Acoustical Society of AmericaminorOthersProvided permission to publish 'The Sabines at Riverbank' book by John W. Kopec documenting the history of Wallace Clement Sabine and the origins of modern architectural acoustics. Book published with permission from both Acoustical Society of America and the family of John W. Kopec.
• Bright Cloud StudiominorOthersWebsite development partner credited for custom crafting the Riverbank Acoustical Laboratories website.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics (IBP): German applied research institute with acoustic testing facilities serving European building materials manufacturers. Comparable reverberation chamber-based testing services for construction products.
• Müller-BBM: Germany-based independent acoustics testing and engineering firm with reverberation chamber capabilities. Provides comparable building acoustics testing services primarily in European markets.

Others

• Brüel & Kjær (HBK): Leading global manufacturer of acoustic and vibration measurement instruments, also providing test services and solutions. While primarily an instrument maker, its sound power and noise testing services overlap with RAL's offerings.

Direct peers

• ETS-Lindgren: Provider of acoustic, vibration, and RF test chambers and testing services. Operates reverberation chambers and provides accredited acoustic testing services to manufacturers comparable to RAL's offering.
• National Research Council Canada (NRC): Canadian government building acoustics laboratory that performs STC/IIC/NRC testing using reverberation chambers. Operates as the closest international counterpart to Riverbank in architectural acoustics testing.
• Orfield Laboratories: Independent US acoustical testing and research laboratory offering architectural acoustics, sound isolation, and product noise testing comparable to RAL's service portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• Intertek: Global testing, inspection, and certification company offering acoustical testing among its broad portfolio of services. Competes with RAL on building materials and consumer product acoustic certifications.
• SGS: World's largest testing, inspection, and certification company. Provides acoustic and noise testing within a much broader service portfolio that competes with RAL for enterprise testing contracts.
• UL (Underwriters Laboratories): Global safety certification company that also has a data acceptance program referenced in RAL's materials. UL Solutions and UL Verification Services offer acoustic testing within a much broader safety science portfolio.
• Eurofins Scientific: International testing services group with acoustic testing capabilities. Serves similar enterprise customers across multiple industries and competes on certified product testing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RiverbankLabs
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxt45rSC9H3q5mvBFy9onSQ/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/RiverbankLabs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/riverbanklabs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Riverbank Acoustical Laboratories