Eclipse purchases top Irish BSE laboratory

ONE of Ireland’s leading laboratories, which specialises in testing for BSE, has been purchased by a Yorkshire firm.

Advanced Micro-Services Ltd (AMS), which is based at Tramore Road, Cork has been acquired by Eclipse, which is a major player in the British science market.

The Cork company provides accredited food microbiology and BSE testing services, primarily to the food industry in this country.

Eclipse said yesterday that the business in Cork will continue to be exclusively managed by its founding members, Billy Coleman and Garry Buckley.

“This acquisition further strengthens our position in the Irish market, improves our geographical coverage as well as bringing a new area of testing to our ‘one stop shop’ business,” said Julie Dedman, Eclipse’s managing director.

This is understood to be Eclipse’s eighth acquisition in two years.

Eclipse, which provides scientific research and analysis for the food, agricultural, pharmaceutical, environmental and water industries, said the purchase was part of its strategy to increase its turnover from £12 million to £30m in two years.

AMS specialises in testing for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), and works with a range of large food businesses.

The market has expanded rapidly since the introduction of compulsory BSE testing for all slaughtered cattle. In 2002, 394,000 animals were tested in Britain alone, while in 2005 this increased to 547,000.

AMS was founded in 1999 and employs 25 staff. It first opened at the Kinsale Road commercial centre, but relocated to Tramore Road in September 2003.

“Originally the company focussed on microbiological testing and animal residue testing. This move allows us to utilise Eclipse’s other laboratory services, and thus we will be able to offer our customers an even greater scope of testing,” AMS joint managing director Billy Coleman said. “It significantly strengthens our presence in the market.”