SGS opened its new Brookings lab, South Dakota

On April 11, SGS senior managers were joined by representatives of local government, staff and the building design and construction team for the official opening of the company’s new 68,000 sq. ft. laboratory in Brookings, South Dakota.

SGS’s US Managing Director, Dave Smercina, was joined at the opening by Vice Presidents Anna Theil-Gangl and James Nokes, Jeff Weldon and Patty Bacon from the City of Brookings, Al Heuton, Executive Director, Brookings Economic Development Council, clients and staff, to witness the beginning of a new era for the company’s Brookings facility. The official opening ceremony was followed by an ‘Open House’ event for staff and their families.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Smercina said: “SGS has always been at the forefront of global seed and food testing practices, and this new facility in Brookings gives us the scope to continue to grow with our customers. We should all be proud to be part of this world-class facility.”
Individual client tours and VIP days are scheduled over the course of the spring and summer, allowing our customers personalized time to see how their samples are tested and reported.

ISO 9001 certified, and accredited to ISTA and ISO 17025, this new site sets the standard for quality seed, crop, feed and food testing in North America. With 30% more space than before, our new facility has all the space we need to meet the growing needs of our clients quickly, efficiently and accurately.
Constantly striving to meet and exceed customer expectations, this new facility has enabled us to streamline processes and expand capabilities.

Enhancements include:

•    Upgraded planting line
•    Thoughtfully designed process flow
•    Improved sample grinding and disposal equipment
•    New analytical equipment, including LC/MSMS 6,500+
•    Expanded food testing capabilities
•    Enhanced safety layout

The new purpose-built premises means we can now also offer seven dedicated germination rooms with temperature monitoring systems, ensuring complete traceability. The separation of processes and expansion of dedicated spaces for sensitive testing eliminates the risk of cross-contamination. And importantly, the centrally located sample receiving allows for faster processing to ensure our turnaround time is the best in the business.

Billie Riles, SGS Brookings Operations Manager, notes: “In designing this facility, we utilized the expertise of our management and staff to build on the best of what we had in our previous facilities and optimize our quality and efficiencies to better serve our clients.”

Now that we’re officially open, customers are welcome to make an appointment to tour our new facilities at 1405 32nd Avenue, Brookings, SD 57006 – and learn more about our local services backed up by global expertise.