The new state-of-the-art facility will be located at a more accessible and larger site in in Bentonville, Arkansas, to provide customers with “expanded and enhanced services,” the company said in a statement. The expansion is set to take place this year.
These improved services include broader test scopes, cutting-edge testing technologies, and sustainable solutions.
TÜV Rheinland has also chosen to purchase the facility instead of leasing it to establish a long-term base in the region.
Established in 2010 as an ISO 17025 A2LA Accredited lab in the Chemical and Mechanical Field of Testing, the Bentonville lab offers a range of services including toy testing, softlines and hardlines testing for substances of very high concern (SVHC), and compliance with analytical chemistry-based regulatory requirements such as the EU REACH rules.
"Our Bentonville lab’s expansion and relocation demonstrates our commitment to our customers in the USA," said Jonathan Kotrba, vice president, products TIC at TÜV Rheinland North America.
The Bentonville lab is also an established Accepted Testing Laboratory by the US Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) for a broad range of chemistry and mechanical tests.
Lillian Peregrina, director of the Bentonville lab, said: "In our new location, we will improve workflows for analytical chemical and mechanical testing. We are creating a world-class analytical chemistry capability scope for all types of toys and retail products.”