Smithers Scientific Services Inc. has reorganized. The reorganization encompasses three independently operated companies structured under a new corporate name -- The Smithers Group -- with worldwide headquarters in Akron, Ohio.
"The move is consistent with Smithers' strategic plan that targets significant growth and continued reinvestment in our businesses," says Michael Hochschwender, president and CEO of The Smithers Group. "At the same time, it adds a level of diversification to temper the effects of economic swings in any one industry segment."
The Smithers Group is made up of the following companies:
* Smithers Scientific Services, a testing, research and consulting firm for the tire, rubber, plastics, chemical and automotive industries. It is based in Akron.
* Smithers Quality Assessments, a third-party registrar providing quality and environmental management system certification services to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and other standards. It also is based in Akron.
* Springborn Smithers Laboratories, a contract research and regulatory compliance firm for the pharmaceutical, agrochemical and chemical industries (Smithers acquired the Springborn operation last March). Its domestic operations are based in Wareham, Mass. (it also has a research center in Snow Camp, N.C.); its European operations are based in Horn, Switzerland.
The original "group" company, Smithers Scientific Services, was founded in 1925 and has focused on the tire, rubber, automotive, plastics and chemical industries for almost 80 years.
