Word on the Street: Test-kit assembly plant and lab to open in Tulare

A laboratory and test-kit assembly plant will open next year in Tulare serving the dairy industry regionally and globally.

Universal Meditech Inc. will open the laboratory specializing in both research and development and assembly of diagnostic test kits, with an emphasis on dairy cattle reproduction, the Tulare County Economic Development Corporation said.

The company will lease a 22,000-square-foot facility – renovations have begun and its expected to open in January – and will eventually hire 50 to 70 people, the EDC said.

“We are pleased to locate this state-of-the-art facility in the heart of California’s top producing agricultural land,” company CEO Jesse Zhu said in a statement. “After a thorough search, we found a building that will house our requirements for laboratory, assembling machines and other packaging equipment.”

Products will be delivered to more that the regional dairy industry, he said: “This facility will help us meet our company’s strategy of growth of introducing these diagnostic systems to global markets.”

Paul Saldana, president and CEO of the Tulare County Economic Development Corporation, said the city was speedy with inspections and permit approval, and the local Workforce Investment Board assisted in recruiting technical staff.

This story was originally published November 24, 2015 at 6:29 PM with the headline "Word on the Street: Test-kit assembly plant and lab to open in Tulare."