In the News Index

Startup Steering Navy's Environmental Testing Concept Into Potentially Big Markets in U.S., China

Kits Used to Detect Contaminants In Soils, Water May Have Multimillion-Dollar Possibilities

Carlsbad-based Assure Controls is a technology company that sells a testing kit capable of detecting toxic contaminants in water and soils. It's part of a growing list of companies in the clean technology sector.

Assure Controls lab technician Christi Sodano inspects a flask of plankton using a new method of testing toxicity levels in water.

When entrepreneur Bryan Bjorndal launched Assure Controls Inc. two years ago, there really wasn't a category for the business he planned.

"Clean-tech as a classification of business, I didn't see that in 2005 as I was starting this business and I think that is a very beneficial development for us," said Bjorndal, who professes his product is more affordable and portable than similar products on the market.

Bjorndal is president and chief executive officer of Assure Controls, which has three full-time employees, nine full-time equivalent contractors and another dozen or so contractors hired as needed.

Assure Controls' product, the QwikLite™ Testing System, comes from the U.S. Navy.

The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center San Diego, known as Spawar, developed the system that uses sensitive bioluminescent plankton to detect high toxicity levels in water and soils.

The test is based on an organism found in water that naturally puts off a blue-green light. When water is contaminated with pollutants such as hard metals, the organism can lose some of its glow.

Technology Award

Assure Controls has exclusive commercial rights to the QwikLite Testing System. Bjorndal was able to commercialize the product with a $75,000 development award from the Center for Commercialization of Advanced Technology in San Diego.

Suzanne Finch is a spokeswoman for CCAT, which is funded by the Office of Naval Research and focuses solely on technology that addresses national defense and homeland security issues.

"We're not going to give out money to a Qualcomm or other larger type organization because we know they already have money," Finch said. "We're looking to help the smaller academic labs and researchers and small entrepreneurs like Brian, who maybe don't have that much to start with."

A market study by CCAT uncovered an estimated $70 million market in the area of environmental testing. More than 200,000 sites in the United States alone require toxicity testing, in part because of the potential impact on surrounding industrial areas.

Bjorndal believes Assure Control's quick and relatively inexpensive product will show the Environmental Protection Agency that contamination testing can be done more often.

"This is an advancement where the EPA can require people to do more testing because they can afford to," Bjorndal said. The main instrument costs $2,000, while the necessary software is another $200 and disposable test kits go for $300.

Because Assure Controls introduced its first commercial product at the end of 2006, there are no annual revenues to report just yet. But Bjorndal, who'd like to sell the company within two to three years, is planning for $40 million to $45 million a year in revenues within four to five years. He believes that because Assure Controls has its sight on the China market, too.

"My role in the company is to help build up the company looking at things such as product development and strategic business partnerships," said Marci Weatherford, the company's vice president. "We're looking a lot right now at U.S. and China markets."

Assure Controls is also in the market for investors. More than $5 million is needed to help get its product into China, Bjorndal said.

"There are seven rivers in China, five don't support fish, that's how toxic those waters are," he said.

Bjorndal hopes his company can help China catch up to the U.S. standards brought about by the EPA's work during the past 30 to 40 years.

"Our company is at the right place at the right time," Bjorndal said.

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Contact Assure Controls:
Mickele Hughes Bragg
p: 760.505.3000 x3
f: 760.306.7872
mhughes@assurecontrols.com
www.AssureControls.com