1/8/2014

Hygenic completes renovation of lab, testing processes

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By Mike McNulty

AKRON—Hygenic Corp. has completed an extensive renovation of its Akron laboratory and enhanced its prototyping, custom formulating and testing processes.

Together the changes create increased flexibility and greater space utilization, the company said.

Numerous improvements include new lab equipment, a new floor plan that improves and makes better use of space within the lab, elimination of a wall to add square footage and help create better collaborative space, and movable bench tops, allowing them to be configured for different projects, a spokeswoman said.

Other changes give the lab better lighting, new cabinets, new ceilings, safety improvements, new paint, added windows and a new prototyping area, she said. Financial details were not released.

The laboratory renovation allows the lab's staff to reconfigure and customize each work space for specific projects and create space for more collaboration, the firm said.

The capital investment project “demonstrates our company's commitment to innovation and quality,” according to Lisa Koval, vice president and general manager, health care, specialty and dental.

“With our already established and appreciated iterative innovation process, the lab renovation creates exponential benefits for our customers,” she said, adding that the firm now can accelerate the time between an initial idea “and a product that meets specifications and measurable performance characteristics.”

With the company's new lab environment and its dedicated development equipment, “we can now get the initial product concept as well as any needed re-works to the customer quicker,” said Allison Ryan, director, new product development.

She said the renovation also helps improve safety and the aesthetics of the lab.

Koval said the quicker time to market for products should result in greater bottom line revenue for customers.

Akron-headquartered Hygenic develops, manufactures, sells and markets a variety of natural rubber latex, synthetic rubber and thermoplastic products. It also is “recognized for its extensive testing and resulting quality products, both branded and OEM,” Koval said.

For example, she said, Hygenic's TheraBand elastic resistance exercise offerings “are the product of choice in the health care market because of their quality, effectiveness, durability and consistency.”

The same process allows the company to customize natural and synthetic rubber compounds to meet specific performance attributes required by customers,” Koval said.