Rock River Laboratory, Inc., an agricultural analysis lab, celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.

In 1976, founder Don Meyer, his wife Karen, and his parents, Bill and Marge Meyer, set out with a goal to fulfill an agriculture industry need for quality, accurate analysis of soil. Over the last 40 years, Rock River Laboratory has put its underlying driver of helping the industry, and the farmers and consultants that compose it, at the forefront.

ORIGINAL LAB: Since its original location on the Meyer Farm in Watertown (this photo was taken in 1991), Rock River Laboratory has moved its headquarters across town and grown to include five domestic labs and three locations abroad.

“I began this company upon the foundation of fulfilling a need, but it quickly grew to a passion to drive the industry forward by embracing new, progressive technology, ideas, and techniques that are built in science and founded on research,” says Don Meyer, Rock River Laboratory president and owner. “Our customer service-driven culture has enabled us to foster relationships with our internal employee team and external customer partners that have sustained our company’s existence, which means a lot to us.”

Today, Rock River Laboratory serves customers in need of soil and plant tissue analysis, as well as animal nutrition component analysis and has continued to diversify its services into both new areas of the agriculture field as well as new areas of the globe. Rock River Laboratory is in five different locations across the U.S., as well as three different locations abroad, with many new services and technologies to help improve the accuracy of analysis exponentially since the capabilities of the 1970s. 

“In the early 1980s, Don had the foresight to recognize Near-infrared [NIR] technology, which was then a fairly new and not well-understood feed and forage diagnostic tool, as the future means for accurate and quick analysis,” explains Zac Meyer, Rock River Laboratory director of  operations. “That sort of ingenuity has been ingrained in our company culture and continues to be a driving force in our mission to provide our customers with the best agricultural analysis available."

Rock River Laboratory continues to innovate and look for new ways to improve accuracy and extend new capabilities to their nutritionist and agronomist partners. “We’re planning to continue our commitment to serving this industry – and doing it well - for the next 40 years and beyond,” says Don. “Our young and driven second generation ensures that Rock River Laboratory will be a sustained partner as agriculture continues to evolve.”

Rock River Laboratory provides production assistance to the agricultural industry through the use of advanced analytical systems, progressive techniques, and research-supported analyses.  Employing a team of top specialists in their respective fields, Rock River Laboratory is built on providing accurate, cost-effective, and timely analytical results to customers.

Source: Rock River Lab