Smithers Viscient Acquires ESG from Covance

The US CRO company Smithers Viscient announced the completion of its acquisition of the UK contract research company Environmental Sciences Group (ESG) of Covance Laboratories. The Environmental Sciences Group will expand and extend the core Smithers Viscient service offering with world-class scientific and regulatory expertise in product registration and risk assessment.

This team is based in Harrogate, United Kingdom, and has been providing environmental and consumer safety regulatory services for over 35 years to clients in the agrochemical, pharmaceutical, industrial chemical, consumer safety, and animal health industries. The 60 employees in the ESG bring with them extensive knowledge and capabilities focused on Plant Metabolism, Animal Metabolism, Environmental Fate, Ecotoxicology, Physical Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry and Residue Chemistry.

"This is a great acquisition for us”, commented Volker Bornemann, President of Smithers Viscient. “Our global clients will benefit from a broader range of services and our European clients will see an immediate increase in capabilities and flexibility. Overall, ESG represents an excellent strategic fit”

David Phillips has been appointed Managing Director of Smithers Viscient’s Harrogate facility. David noted, “During my 10 years with the Environmental Sciences Group, we have continually strived to establish a leadership position in expertise and quality of service. Smithers Viscient is known in our industry for those attributes, and I am pleased to become part of this team. We have a tremendous opportunity to leverage our strengths, share best practices, and provide our clients with an expanded offering.”