COMPANYHISTORIES
NAIC 54138

Testing Laboratories

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

16companies1828–1996founding years16still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedBureau Veritas SA
1828
FoundedDeere & Company
1868
FoundedUnderwriters Laboratories, Inc.
1901
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedBodycote International PLC
1923
FoundedSverdrup Corporation
1928
FoundedConsumers Union
1936
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
FoundedNSF International
1944
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedRoy F. Weston, Inc.
1957
FoundedMITRE Corporation
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedTetra Tech, Inc.
1966
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedTECHNE Corporation
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedApplied Bioscience International, Inc.FoundedThermo Instrument Systems Inc.
1986
FoundedEurofins Scientific S.A.FoundedLandauer, Inc.
1987
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
FoundedNovartis AG
1996
1997
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Bureau Veritas SA →
Active · founded 1828 · France
Bureau Veritas SA is one of the world's leading companies providing QHSE (Quality, Health, Safety, and Environmental)…
Deere & Company →
Active · founded 1868
One of the five oldest companies in the United States, Deere & Company is the world's largest manufacturer of…
Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. →
Active · founded 1901
Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.
Bodycote International PLC →
Active · founded 1923 · United Kingdom
The United Kingdom's Bodycote International PLC is the world's leading provider of metallurgical services to the steel,…
Sverdrup Corporation →
Active · founded 1928
Sverdrup Corporation is a broad-based engineering firm offering professional services in civil engineering and…
Consumers Union →
Active · founded 1936
Consumers Union is the nonprofit organization that publishes the monthly magazine Consumer Reports, dedicated to…
NSF International →
Active · founded 1944
NSF International is a world leader in the testing and certification of products that affect the safety of water, food,…
Roy F. Weston, Inc. →
Active · founded 1957
Roy F.
MITRE Corporation →
Active · founded 1958
MITRE Corporation is a federally funded nonprofit organization that performs systems engineering and integration work…
Tetra Tech, Inc. →
Active · founded 1966
Tetra Tech, Inc.
TECHNE Corporation →
Active · founded 1981
TECHNE Corporation is a holding company whose main operating subsidiary is R&D Systems, located in Minneapolis,…
Applied Bioscience International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1986
Applied Bioscience International, Inc.
Thermo Instrument Systems Inc. →
Active · founded 1986
Thermo Instrument Systems Inc., a majority-owned subsidiary of Thermo Electron, is an international leader in…
Eurofins Scientific S.A. →
Active · founded 1987 · France
France's Eurofins Scientific S.A.
Landauer, Inc. →
Active · founded 1987
Since 1954, Laudauer, Inc.
Novartis AG →
Active · founded 1996 · Switzerland
Novartis AG was founded in 1996 with the merger of Ciba-Geigy Ltd.
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