LTI Celebrates 30th Anniversary
Since 1984 the company has grown through a series of expansions and changes as it developed a wide variety of nondestructive testing, dimensional inspection and calibration services throughout the years.
Posted: July 22, 2014
Laboratory Testing Inc. (LTI; Hatfield, PA), an accredited material testing and metrology lab, has reached thirty years in business. The company originated as the Nondestructive Testing (NDT) division of Carson Helicopter in 1976.
In 1984, Robert (Bob) McVaugh, Sr. purchased his partner’s share of Carson NDT, incorporated as Laboratory Testing and moved into a 30,000 sq ft building in Dublin, PA. Since 1984, LTI has gone through many expansions and changes that grew the company to a 91,500 sq ft facility with 145 employees performing many services in addition to nondestructive testing, including chemical analysis, mechanical testing, metallography, failure analysis, specimen machining, dimensional inspection and calibration services.
During the 1980s, the company began offering dimensional inspection and several types of destructive testing services. LTI was granted A2LA accreditation in 1989 and NADCAP accreditation in 1992 for the aerospace and defense industries. Also in 1992, the lab formed LTI Metrology to oversee a new branch of inspection services: instrument calibration.
In 1994, ownership of the company was passed to the next generation. Mike McVaugh, previously the NDT manager, assumed the role as president. Throughout the 1990s, LTI expanded its capabilities through numerous technology and equipment upgrades and with additional services.
The Machining Department was established to prepare test specimens in-house as the scope of services performed in the Calibration and Metallography Departments was greatly increased. By this time, the company had outgrown its building, so in late 1999 Laboratory Testing began moving to its current location in Hatfield.
According to Mike McVaugh, “The 2000s was an especially eventful decade for LTI. We purchased a calibration company, Gage Lab Corp., to expand LTI’s calibration capabilities, and a full line of on-site calibration services was introduced. We also built a 12,000 sq ft addition on our building to accommodate new services and more equipment and employees.”
In the last few years, two nearby buildings were rented, one for more corrosion and nondestructive testing space, and the other to house LTI Metrology and the administrative staff. This opened up space in the main building to totally renovate and expand the destructive testing departments. The Mechanical Testing and Metallography Labs were completed during the past year, and work on the Chemistry Lab is beginning this month.
“During the company’s 30 years in business, we have developed a reputation for “one-stop” convenience, reliable results and quick service,” said McVaugh. These days, the third generation is very involved in the business and preparing to take over ownership down the road. Their priorities are maintaining LTI’s reputation and continuing the growth trend that has occurred since 1984.
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