SAI was formed in 1982 by four family-owned testing companies:
- Norfolk Testing Laboratories, Inc. (Andrew S. McCreath and Son, Inc.)
- Hampton Roads Testing Laboratories, Inc.
- Standard Laboratories, Inc.
- Tidewater Coal Inspection Bureau, Inc.
The genesis of the partnership was the advent of mechanical sampling age in the USA with sampling equipment installed at all the large coal export terminals in the USA. The founding partners, each with their own unique experience and expertise in sampling, laboratory analysis, and surveying, envisioned the need for an entity specializing in the operations and maintenance of mechanical sampling systems.
The founders’ vision was fulfilled. With every new contract, SAI proved to be a skilled steward of the sampling systems in its care, and a true working partner with the terminals we served. As the years passed, SAI developed its craft and earned a worldwide reputation as a trusted independent third party by providing the most comprehensive operations and maintenance programs in the industry.
SAI has also grown by forming partnerships with other carefully selected family-owned businesses to extend our skill set and geographic footprint. The criteria for partners were simple: a good reputation for service and the solid work ethic of a family-owned company. SAI and its affiliates have managed to grow into a major player in the sampling and analysis of solid mineral fuels without losing the commitment to service that family-owned companies are known for.
While it is easy to say “Leadership by Example” on one’s website, the proof is in the pudding: Of the 18 terminals in the USA with mechanical sampling systems that load coal or petcoke for export, SAI and its affiliates have operations contracts at 16 of them.
