People Are our Chemistry

At Eurofins BioPharma Product Testing, we believe that our people provide our strength. Their dedication to quality, professional competence and hard work are the key elements in the company’s success. In this regular feature, we introduce you to some of the people who have helped make Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories an industry leader.

Grant Ball is a Manager of Chemistry and Site Support at the Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories’ Portage, Michigan, facility. His main focus of work is to provide support to the site’s staff, business development, and his management team to continue to develop upon our current capabilities. Grant oversees method development/validation, routine/stability analyses, metrology, training, and project management. Additionally, he routinely provides technical support during client and regulatory audits, is highly involved in driving continuous improvement processes, and develops symbiotic relationships with client stakeholders to ensure their analytical needs are met.

What is the Scope of your Group?

The Portage site’s primary area of expertise includes method development & validation, optimizations, and release and stability quality control analyses for human and veterinary prescription and over the counter drugs. The site’s primary focus is to provide analytical services that include HPLC/UPLC, GC, Dissolution, cKF, vKf, Disintegration, and Franz cell.

What process improvements does your group initiate to serve clients better?

We have implemented several process improvements that have directly impacted the quality and customer service in a positive manner. For example, the site has implemented a lean approach to how glassware and solution preparations are managed by having a bin system that ensures laboratory glassware, pipettes, and other analytical commodities are retained until the data has been reviewed and has been released, which eliminates chemists handling the glassware several times. Another major lean initiative example includes the strategic reorganize/redesign of the laboratory so the technical staff have the supplies and instrumentation necessary within a few steps of their area to eliminate inefficiencies by reducing white space.

Why should our clients trust us with their projects?

I am confident in the capabilities of the site due to the staff’s primary focus on quality, substantial technical diversity throughout the group, and the willingness to go above and beyond to drive the project to completion. The site has continued to develop an impeccable track record of meeting or exceeding our client’s expectations in regards to the quality of the work produced and meeting the customer’s turnaround time.

You’ve been here for several years and seen some changes. Is there anything that hasn’t changed during your tenure?

Within my four years at Eurofins I have encountered several site changes that were implemented to sustain the unchanged Vision, Mission, and Values of Eurofins. Accepting change can be difficult at times, but I am very proud of the site’s ability to embrace change and recognize how the new process will benefit the client, organization, and their role. Recent examples of past and on-going changes include the implementation of improved Laboratory Information System, Electronic Lab Notebooks, Improved training program, and several other continuous improvement processes have resulted in Eurofins being the leaders of the contract laboratory industry.

What kind of volunteer activities have you been involved with?

I actively coach and serve as board member with the Kalamazoo Optimistic Hockey Association (KOHA). My involvement with the KOHA as a board member is to support the organizational development, operations, and quality and coach Beginners Hockey, 8U+ travel, and 10U travel hockey to provide a mentoring experience to develop our future leaders’ ability to effectively lead and/or participate in a team.

And when you’re not working?

I spend the majority of my time with my wife and three sons. On the weekend we can be typically found at the hockey rink, on the soccer field, camping, boating, or fishing.