ALS Limited
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Testing, inspection, certification, verification |
| Predecessor | Campbell Brothers |
| Founded | January 1, 1863 in Brisbane, Australia |
| Founder | Peter Morrison Campbell |
| Fate | Renamed from Campbell Brothers Limited to ALS Limited in 2012; exited manufacturing business |
| Headquarters | Brisbane , Australia |
Area served | Worldwide (70 countries) |
| Products | Testing, inspection, certification, verification services; Life Sciences; Commodities; Industrial segments |
Number of employees | 19000+ |
ALS Limited (), based in Brisbane, Australia, provides a comprehensive range of testing, inspection, certification, and verification services through a network exceeding 370 locations across 65 countries. The company was honored with induction into the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame in 2012.
Campbell Brothers
Established in Brisbane in 1863 by Scottish immigrant Peter Morrison Campbell under the name 'Campbell Brothers', the enterprise originally manufactured soaps and cleaning agents. In 1881, it shifted operations to Bowen Hills, where it remained for approximately one hundred years. The company went public in 1952 as 'Campbell Brothers Limited'. In 2012, it transitioned its identity to 'ALS Limited' and exited its manufacturing business.
Australian Laboratory Services
The laboratory testing division known as ‘Australian Laboratory Services’ commenced in Brisbane in 1976, concentrating on analytical chemistry related to oil shale and mineral exploration. Campbell Brothers secured a majority stake in 1981 and completed full acquisition by the mid-1980s.
During the 1980s, ALS experienced swift expansion throughout Australia, followed by entry into Asian and South American markets in the 1990s. The early 2000s saw further growth into North America, Africa, and Europe, with the Middle East added by 2011.
By acquiring North American companies 'Chemex Labs' (1999) and 'Bondar Clegg' (2001), ALS established itself as a prominent global provider of laboratory services for the minerals sector. Between 2011 and 2017, the company diversified into life sciences, incorporating pharmaceutical, healthcare, food safety, and quality assurance testing capabilities.
Operations
Employing over 19,000 staff members, ALS maintains operations from more than 350 sites across 70 countries spanning Australia, Asia, the Pacific region, North America, South America, Europe, and Africa. Its organizational structure is divided into principal business segments:
- Life Sciences: Focuses on laboratories dedicated to environmental monitoring, testing of food and pharmaceuticals, electronics evaluation, and consumer product analysis.
- Commodities: Delivers testing solutions for the worldwide mining sector including geochemistry, metallurgy, coal analysis, mine site services, and inspection. Services cover the entire resource lifecycle from exploration and feasibility studies through production, trading, and site rehabilitation.
- Industrial: Offers diagnostic testing alongside engineering services tailored to energy, resource extraction, transportation infrastructure, and related industries.