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Hill Labs founder, Dr Roger Hill, recognised that innovation thrives when rooted in a solid foundation of technical expertise. Hill Labs has developed a wide range of pioneering PCR testing services, spanning food safety, public health, and agriculture sectors. This innovation has been propelled by Hill Labs' technical capability and unwavering customer-centric approach. In the context of food safety, rapid and accurate detection of bacterial pathogens is paramount. Traditionally, identifying pathogens like Listeria, Salmonella, and Cronobacter relied on labour-intensive methods that take several days to yield results.

The evolution of our analytical testing services to the food and bioanalytical sector stands as a testament to our unwavering commitment to excellence and continuous innovation. Each milestone along our journey represents a strategic step forward, reflecting our dedication to responding to market demands and surpassing client expectations. For our fortieth birthday edition, let's embark on a journey through time, exploring some pivotal moments that have defined our trajectory.

Soil testing holds a special place at Hill Labs. Forty years ago, Roger and Anne Hill started their business by providing soil and leaf testing to customers in agriculture and horticulture. The methods have evolved over the years as improvements have been made, but the fundamentals remain the same. As sample numbers grew, so too did the desire to innovate the process. The operation of processing a soil sample from reception through to analysis is quite manual. This was the driver for the birth of RoSEE (Robotic Soil Extraction Equipment) in 2002.

"I’ve been with Hill Labs for almost 24 years now, ever since I joined as a lab technician in the environmental organics section back in July 2000. My journey to Hill Labs was influenced by my upbringing on a dairy farm and my interest in science. After completing a science course at Wintec, I found my way to Hill Labs and I’ve stayed here all this time thanks mainly to the variety of the work that we get to do."

“I started with Hill Labs 29 years ago back in 1995 when I was looking for my first job out of high school. What attracted me to the company was their reputation, they were a small but well known local business in Cambridge. Over the years I’ve performed a variety of business support roles – Receptionist, Office Manager, Induction Officer, Client Services Coordinator, HR Administrator and now my current role which is part time in the Human Resources team as Hill Labs’ HR Support and Recruitment Advisor."

“Come October this year, I’ve been with Hill Labs for 30 years. Personally, there are so many stand out moments during my career but one of the most significant has been the opportunity to help grow the organics section in the lab, being part of the clean-up of the old Fruitgrowers’ Chemical Company DDT plant in Mapua, and helping to grow the methamphetamine testing service which grew from nothing to being a very significant contributor to our business at one stage."