Dec 2008 FAL NetPortal^tm version 3 is to be launched,as a result of positive customer feedback this version is even faster, more user friendly, includes more filter functions and has proven itself in BETA testing when it comes to saving customer manpower and costs. We anticipate a launch date of around mid December 2008 and it will again set the benchmark for the industry placing Falabs when and truly in the lead.

Nov 2008. 20 staff out of over 80 have completed and passed their First Aid at Work course. This means all our shifts continue to be covered by first aiders for another three years and our comitment to ongoing training continues.

September 2008 With over 90 employees FAL outsources Human Resource Management and payroll to ABC Human Resource Consultancy, headed up by Kelly Mansell who effectively now joins the FAL Management team. Costs are reduced by outsourcing non core business, contact ABC Human Resource Consultancy for further information. Kelly has had prior experience of HR Laboratory management as she used to manage all 7 sites of ALcontrol laboratories UK Food division before leaving to set up her own business in 2006 and fulfill her ambitions. FAL is now one of several of her clients and together with Rockford UK Ltd who manage our IT infrastructure business enhancements are made and costs reduced by effective outsourcing and focusing on core business..

September 2008 FAL launches BRC support, HACCP services, retailer specification support and a full range of food industry training courses as part of our Independent Technical Consultancy Arm, see our audit page.

August 2008 FAL welcomes both Dr. Andrew Lamb from Glasgow University and Jason Dorairaj MSc who will be joining our Microbiology and Customer servicing departments. They will raise our staffing levels up to 82 and highlight the fact that FAL continues to invest in the right calibre of staff so we can exceed expectations and add value through our services. Growth continues as the company surpasses the £4 million p.a. turnover point and we have used our 1 millionth petri dish since April.

July 2008 FAL welcomes Victoria Kusnierz who joins us in August as our 80th employee and will become part of the senior management team as Technical Director of Microbiology. She was formally Group Microbiologist for Dairy Crest, a company with 14 sites across the UK producing a wide variety of Dairy products, ingredients and value-added products. Vicky will also become a familiar face to our customers helping them out with any issues they have such as hygiene audits, HACCP etc..

June 2008 NetPortal^tm advances again. It now comes with barcode scanners and label printers for customers who wish to register samples using the barcode often available on product packaging. This now at long last takes out one of the biggest frustrations for all customers - filling in paperwork or even typing in registration information! Once customers are logged in using their secure passwords they have the ability to view, maintain and edit their specifications, Service Level Agreements, and contact details for transmission of Out of Specifications(OOS's).. Customers also have the ability to view Customer Service Charters and price lists. NetPortal^tm holds all data and is easily accessible making it an easy to use repository of all client data. Test reports on demand can be produced as well as the ability to download all results in Excel for result analysis and trending. Specialist shelf life reports and Nutritional Label reports derived from data can be generated at the press of a button, providing excellent due diligence defense as well as viewing OOS's with ease. NetPortal^tm is now without a doubt the advanced version of its kind in the analytical testing world.

June 2008. FAL moves ahead with plans for the second laboratory site and gains support for its first acquisition. Steve Watt is pictured with Simon Bellamy of NatWest agreeing terms. FAL works closely with RBS/NatWest for all its financial requirements. By co-incidence it is exactly two years to the month since we took possession of The Old Mill.

Steve Watt of FAL, Ian Morris and Simon Bellamy of the NatWest Bank.