Record year for DNA-testing firm

DEMAND for paternity tests has helped a small company achieve record sales.

Revenues at Salford-based BioClinics surged 51% in the year to August 31 to top  £500,000 for the first time in the company’s nine-year history.

Founder and  scientific director Nichola McChrystal hailed  a ‘momentous’ year for business as demand for  workplace drug and alcohol testing services and the launch of a DNA test which identifies the best type of diet and exercise regime to help people lose weight, based on their genetic make-up, also contributed to BioClinics’ success.

During the year, the company moved headquarters to a 19th century former Welsh Chapel on Peel Street, Eccles, grew staff numbers from nine to 14 and increased its network of testing clinics and mobile sample collectors across the UK and Ireland from 120 to 170.

McChrystal, who set up the business in 2005, said BioClinics is aiming to achieve further substantial sales growth in this financial year.

She said: “We have recently gained accreditations to conduct testing in the rail, transport and utilities sectors, and we are looking to introduce new services over the coming months.

“These developments give us a strong platform from which to achieve a further significant rise in revenues during the current financial year. We expect to increase our workforce in line with this growth. Our new headquarters give us scope to ultimately double the size of our team.”

The number of DNA relationship tests carried out last year rose from 80 to 200 per month, with the biggest increase being paternity testing kits.

The number of workplace drug and alcohol tests conducted soared from 60 to 240 per month following a raft of client wins, in particular in the maritime security industry following the deaths of two US security officers on the cargo ship Maersk Alabama in February. A cocktail of drugs and alcohol was blamed for their deaths.

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