Suburban Laboratories

Suburban Laboratories was founded in 1936. The original lab was located in Cicero, Illinois where it remained for over 30 years. In 1970 the lab was purchased by three professional engineers; Dr. Fred Gurnham, Robert Konvalinka and Earl Rosenberg. The three owners focused on environmental testing in response to the rise of EPA and the Clean Water Act. In 1971, two of the owners left the business and a chemical engineer Ray Thomas came in as an owner and lab director. In 1972 the company relocated to a 3,000 square foot facility and within 3 years outgrew it. In 1975, the owners designed and built a 10,000 square foot facility in Hillside, Illinois. The business expanded and in 1976 Suburban Laboratories, became the first private laboratory in Illinois to be certified by Illinois EPA to perform drinking water testing. In 1998, the company became the first laboratory in Illinois receive Illinois EPA drinking water, waste water and solid waste accreditation in accordance with the national NELAC standards. The current owner and CEO of Suburban Laboratories, Mr. Jarrett Thomas started working at the lab in 1984. Mr. Thomas is also the co-founder of the Illinois Association of Environmental Testing Laboratories, Inc., and a member of Vistage, the American Council of Independent Laboratories, Illinois EPA Environmental Laboratory Certification Committee, Community Water Supply Testing Council and the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Advisory Committee. On October 11, 2013 Suburban Laboratories moved the corporate headquarters and main laboratory to a 16,000 square foot facility in Geneva, Illinois. The company also maintains a service center in Oak Brook Terrace, Illinois and a laboratory in Mukwonago, Wisconsin.