History of Microbac, 1980s
Boyce Family Assumes Complete Control of Microbac
Upon the passing of Roy Hunt, a member of Microbac’s Board of Directors, and the subsequent elevated sale of his stock, the Boyce family assumed full control of Microbac in 1981.
J. Trevor Boyce Begins Career at Microbac
In a monumental step for Microbac, the second generation of the Boyce family entered into the Company with the 1983 addition of J. Trevor Boyce, son of Microbac founder A. Warne and Doreen Boyce. The arrival of Trevor Boyce demonstrated the Company’s recognition of the importance of continuity – both in management and in company ideals – and laid the groundwork for continuing Microbac’s customer-oriented culture established by Warne Boyce.
Microbac Expands Into North Carolina
Microbac continued its growth to the South with the 1984 purchase of a water treatment laboratory in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Warne Boyce’s purchase was in partnership with Bob Jebson, who sold his stock in the laboratory a few years later. The Fayetteville laboratory flourished under the leadership of the laboratory’s previous owner and longtime Managing Director Ron Sanders, who was elected as a Microbac Vice President and member of the Company’s Executive Committee. Sanders and his wife Bonnie formed the first husband/wife duo at Microbac.
Microbac Enters Computer Era
The computer age was beginning its rapid growth in the early 80s and, as a result, Microbac incorporated LIMS 1 into its operations in 1984.
Massachusetts and Indiana Acquisitions
In 1984, Warne Boyce, who already expanded the Company into Kentucky and North Carolina, acted on growth opportunities in New England and in the Midwest with the purchase of laboratories in Massachusetts and Hammond, Indiana. The geographic move was the Company’s first push westward.
Trevor Boyce’s First Management Appointment
Trevor Boyce, who became Microbac’s CEO, Chairman & President, received his first management appointment in 1985 at the Schiller Laboratory in Pittsburgh. It was in this position that Boyce learned the role of the Laboratory Director and became engulfed into the concept of “The Microbac Way” that remains a cornerstone of a Division’s success.
Start-up Laboratory in Florida
Microbac gained a presence in Florida in 1985 when Mary Wolford, former Laboratory Director of the New Castle Division, was provided with the capital and support needed to create a small, start-up laboratory. Wolford, who had decided to retire to Florida’s west coast, helped establish the Venice Division, which was in operation for 25 years.
Microbac Joins ACIL
In 1986, Microbac joined the American Council of Independent Laboratories (ACIL). Microbac founder A. Warne Boyce and Trevor Boyce took extremely active roles in the organization, which represents a national networking of laboratory owners and improves Microbac’s visibility on a national level.
Erie Division Becomes First Microbac Laboratory to Earn A2LA Accreditation
The Erie Division achieved A2LA Accreditation in 1987, becoming the first Microbac laboratory to meeting the rigorous requirements of quality established by the prestigious accreditation body.
Microbac Adds GC/MS
With the acquisition of Senate laboratory in 1988, Microbac also gained access to a GC/MS for the first time, which enabled the Company to become a complete chemistry business.
Bradford, PA Laboratory Acquired
In 1988, Microbac purchased a laboratory in Bradford, Pennsylvania.