North Pole Lab Selects Omega 11
When exploring the gorgeous landscape of interior Alaska, one would never expect that in a nondescript building in a suburb of Fairbanks is a thriving environmental laboratory. Kelley Lovejoy, the Laboratory Director, has successfully built Alaska Analytical Laboratory (AAL) from the ground up to cater to a variety of clientele with a multitude of needs.
It is a fact that all professional laboratories require the ability to produce reports, as well as to have the proficiency of maintaining accurate records. Kelley has done extensive research on different recording systems and in her professional experience has found that Khemia’s Omega 11 Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) is the best for her small business needs.
Kelley has worked in the field of chemistry for seventeen years, gaining experience and climbing up the executive ladder. In the summer of 2007, Mappa, Inc. recruited Kelley from Hawaii to open AAL. The growth and years in her career prepared her for the challenge of opening this lab.
Alaska Analytical Laboratory, founded in 2008, is a well-established company for environmental consultants, waste treatment centers, and for many others to test soil and water samples. Along with the Omega 11 LIMS, the lab uses top-of-the-line instrumentation to obtain the best results possible.
When testing volatile and semi-volatile samples, AAL utilizes the Dionex ASE® 200 system and a Thermo Scientific TRACE™ Ultra Gas Chromatograph instrument. The laboratory provides quality analytical testing for a reasonable price and a quick turnaround time. The location is important since interior Alaskan residents and corporations take pride in, and support their small businesses.
When Kelley started the laboratory she knew the type of information that her clients would need and wanted to provide them with the most efficient, easy to interpret reports. One decision she made early on was in choosing the LIMS. She used an earlier version of the Omega LIMS in Hawaii and was pleased with its functionality.
“Out of all of the companies I contacted to purchase the latest version Omega 11 LIMS, I found the only company that really understood the needs of a small lab and offered me an extremely competitive price was Khemia Software,” Kelley said. “They have worked with me and supported AAL from the very beginning. I have been very happy using the Omega 11 LIMS. And my clients love the format of the reports that Omega 11 generates.”
She uses many of the operations that Omega 11 specializes in, however, she looks forward to incorporate additional features such as Flashpoint, a web portal with client login capabilities, to benefit the lab and her clients.
The best part of running a small business is that AAL has been able to provide valuable opportunities of seasonal work to recent graduates and local college students from the University of Alaska. By helping out in the lab, the students are able to gain work experience and it’s a great way to give back to the community. Kelley’s recent addition of an Analytical Chemist, Janine Peterson, has proven to be a valuable asset to AAL. Janine brings a wealth of lab experience from the pharmaceutical field.
Kelley (left) and Janine
In the winter, although their clients can brave the elements and bring in samples, the laboratory often uses this time to prepare for the upcoming busy season that comes quickly with the spring. They take advantage of the winter season as much as the amazing summer that the state offers too. In the winter, Kelley and Janine enjoy the ice sculptures that one can find displayed all over the Interior, craft fairs, and partake in outdoor fun from snow machining (snowmobiling) and cross-country skiing to visiting the Santa Claus House and touring North Pole, the city known for its year-round Christmas decorations.
With winter breakup (spring thaw), the lab soon enters into the busy season. As busy as AAL becomes during this time both Kelley and Janine enjoy everything that North Pole and Fairbanks have to offer. When testing large amounts of samples in the summer the laboratory’s busiest season the sun staying out helps motivate and encourage the employees to work around the clock to get the results to their clients on time.
They also enjoy going to the huge farmers market in Fairbanks, spending time outdoors participating in activities ranging from gold-panning to berry picking, and taking pleasure in the midnight sun that the state is known for. Thanks to Khemia Software’s Omega 11 LIMS system’s ease of use, and fast, accurate reporting, the professionals at AAL have time to explore the wonders of Alaska.
To learn more about Alaska Analytical Laboratory, please visit: www.alaska-analytical.com.
