CERTEK History

CERTEK was founded by James (Jim) Grantham who is well recognized in the biocontainment community. He served as a board member of American Biological Safety Association (ABSA). In 1996, a meeting with five people to include a co-owner of D.W. Evans Electric, Inc., started the modular laboratory division of the company. CERTEK designed and developed the concept of modular containment laboratories. In 1997, CERTEK placed the world’s first modular BSL-3 laboratory on the roof of a five-story building across from the Mercedez-Benz Superdome for LSU in New Orleans, Louisiana. When it comes to modular laboratories, we made it first, we make it best. CERTEK now has modular and container laboratories all around the world providing many countries a safe facility to perform research and diagnostics. Institutions working with pathogenic organisms are required to have these types of laboratories by the National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The requirements are listed in their publication Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL). Laboratories may also be constructed to the Canadian Laboratory Biosafety Guidelines or World Health Organization standards (WHO).

CERTEK is owned and operated under a parent company, D.W. Evans Electric, Inc., which has been in operation since 1979. D.W. Evans Electric, Inc. is a commercial electrical contractor in North Carolina licensed in the unlimited classification and also listed with Dunn & Bradstreet Business Bureau. This merger offered CERTEK an opportunity to expand with more flexibility to develop cutting edge products. D.W. Evans Electric, Inc. has assisted in the design and performed all electrical and low-voltage system installations for every CERTEK Laboratory. Since the 2010 merge, the company has continued the reputation and success of building the highest quality premier products on the market.

Interesting Facts:

CERTEK has been involved in and has supported the Biosafety/Biomedical communities since 1977.
CERTEK not only develops laboratories, but also many other containment products to protect and keep our communities germ free and "CERTEK safe."
CERTEK has modular laboratories at several Army base hospitals throughout the US and abroad.
CERTEK has modular laboratories at the Pentagon.
CERTEK has seven laboratories supporting the United States Select agent network.

CERTEK Built and Placed the World's First Modular Laboratory Building on Top of a 5-Story Building in New Orleans, Louisiana

THE WORLD'S FIRST MODULAR BSL-3 LABORATORY LIFTED TO ITS POSITION	THE WORLD'S FIRST MODULAR BSL-3 LABORATORY ON TOP OF A 5-STORY BUILDING
THE WORLD'S FIRST MODULAR BSL-3 LABORATORY PLACED ON THE ROOF	THE WORLD'S FIRST MODULAR BSL-3 LABORATORY NEAR COMPLETION