RAVENNA, Ohio—GEOAnalytical Inc. will transition from one Northeastern Ohio town to another after Ace Products & Consulting L.L.C. acquired the Twinsburg, Ohio-based soil and groundwater testing firm Aug. 3.
According to Erick Sharp, president and CEO of Ace, a rubber and silicone testing company that also offers R&D, industry seminars and classes, it was more than a geographic commonality that drew Ace to GEOAnalytical. The firms share a similar history, equipment and a culture that prides itself on communication and customer turnaround time.
Terms of the transaction between the two privately owned companies were not disclosed.
"Obviously this is a good fit—whether it's equipment, testing or culture," Sharp said. "On the market side we wanted to find some diversification. The pandemic really showed how quickly one market can be hit, and this really expands our breadth of offerings. The cherry on top is diversification and now we can check that box, as well."
GEOAnalytical will bring three employees to the 12 employed by Ace in Ravenna, increasing Ace's work force by 20 percent. GEOAnalytical had five employees but two recently retired.
GEOAnalytical also is expected to increase revenue for Ace by about 30 percent on the environmental testing side alone, Sharp said.
Sharp said Ace will play a wait-and-see game for about a month with its operations and changing roles, then determine how many employees might be needed in the future.
Tom Morsefield, president and owner of GEOAnalytical, said Ace shares the same values for service and customer support.
"The decision to join Ace was a simple one since we share the same values, which are to provide excellent customer service, a focus on data integrity, consistency in turnaround, and staying responsive to the needs of our clients," Morsefield said. "With the additional resources that Ace can provide, GEOAnalytical will be able to grow and improve its level of service by developing additional analytical capabilities and more fully assisting with Ace's ongoing and changing project requirements."
Sharp noted that at the federal level, the EPA has "really been all over the place" with its regulations, and GEOAnalytical is an EPA-certified company that knows the ropes. GEOAnalytical was a key player in 1994 in establishing the rules for the Ohio Voluntary Action Program, which offers an avenue to investigate possible environmental contamination and clean it up without punitive repercussions.