Capital Region Environmental Lab expands into Saratoga County
MALTA, N.Y. » Local business Capital Region Environmental Lab — a municipal, private and well water testing laboratory — recently expanded into Saratoga County.
Headquartered in Rensselaer, the company opened a new satellite laboratory at Suite 231 of 7 Hemphill Pl. in Malta, marking the occasion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce.
Co-owners Brian Collins and Erika LaPorta, who acquired and renamed the longtime area business in 2020, decided to open this second site as a way to increase the company’s footprint while becoming more convenient for some of its existing customers.
“We wanted to try to reach more customers that were in this area,” LaPorta said at the ribbon-cutting event. “We have a bunch of people up this way that bring samples down, so they’re kind of excited that they don’t have to drive as far.”
From the new Malta space, near Northway Exit 12, customers can pick up test kits or drop off their water samples, which then travel to the main lab for testing.
Prior to becoming entrepreneurs, Collins and LaPorta both worked as employees of the Bender Laboratory when it was under the umbrella of St. Peter’s Health Partners, until purchasing the business from the hospital group.
This lab was originally founded in the late 1800s as Bender Hygienic Laboratory.
Now, the company has its first satellite location, as well as about eight or nine employees who work between the two Capital Region sites. Many of the employees stayed with the business through its recent transition of ownership.
Looking ahead to the future of the business, “We’re excited about what this opportunity does for us,” Collins said during the ceremony, “and we’re happy to provide for the community as best we can.”
LaPorta added, “We’d just like to reach more customers in this area and help them with their water testing needs.”
Capital Region Environmental Lab’s Malta location, which can be contacted by calling 518-4008014, is open from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
More information about the company is available online at crenvlab.com.