It is hard for me to figure out where the time goes. Each year, the seasons slip by faster and faster. Here in Southwestern Pennsylvania, the hot and humid days of summer merge into the crisp and cool nights of fall... with leaves of glorious colors that seem to fade in a heartbeat. Change: always there, sometimes painful, never certain, often unnoticed until we take the time to reflect.
I want to note a number of changes within RJ Lee Group (RJLG) this year, including new communication tools, the expansion of criminal forensics, biomedical and pharmaceutical services and the opportunities in the hospital health care initiative.
Have you checked out the new web site, www.rjlg.com? Have you signed up to receive the new and improved quarterly newsletter? Tricia Egry, Jeff Murray, Megan Foster Mattson, Kristy Anderson and Casey Bunker have improved our communication tools and the way we market our services. I have gotten numerous compliments from people about the web site since it was kicked off on July 1. If each of you take the time to tell your story, our friends and partners within RJLG and within our client base will come to realize just how talented, creative and diverse the organization is.
Other groups that have been effectively expanding RJLG's market into new areas are the criminal forensics, biomedical and pharmaceutical groups. Over the last decade, Skip Schwoeble (Director of Criminal Forensics) has become a world-renowned expert in gunshot residue analysis. He has also accomplished something else that is equally important, and that is the creation of a group of recognized experts. Elana Foster, Dave Freehling, and soon Michelle Berry, have been qualified as experts in numerous states. In addition, this group continues to develop new technology and applications in their field. The latest is a method for imaging gun powder in bloody garments to determine how far the shooter was from the victim. This is fascinating stuff for our friends working in the law enforcement community.
Within the last three years, Dave Exline (Director of Pharmaceutical Services and Biotechnology) and Steve Schlaegle (Director of Biomedical Services) have grown their market segments from one person to more than 15 people, with routine support from all the analytical groups. In addition, our pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers are proving to be a market for our emerging eLIMS software. Dave is focused on specialty problem solving and contamination analysis combining SEM, Optical, Raman and Infrared analysis -often on the same particle. Steve is using our expertise in CCSEM to sort out particles generated during wear testing of new medical devices. His data goes to the FDA in support of the new product approval process. Their groups have expanded into a state-of-the-art clean room facility at our newest Greene County site and a forensics laboratory in the new Waynesburg University science center, also located in Greene County, PA. As part of the RJLG and University collaboration, RJLG's Allison Murtha is now teaching two forensics classes at the science center.
The hospital health care initiative has been a work in progress for about three years and is just starting to evolve as a significant opportunity. Managed by Dr. Farrell Melnick in RJLG's New York office, our experts are using microscopy and chemical analyses capabilities for the evaluation of cleanliness and contamination control in hospitals and their pharmacies. The initiative was prompted by new regulations aimed at improved infection control. Additionally, RJLG consults on general environmental and construction oversight projects in hospitals.
These changes in our business broaden our reach and strengthen our roots. They don't happen easily or painlessly. Success requires persistence, patience, and talent. Like the seasons, they are an intrinsic part of our growth and evolution.
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