TÜV Rheinland relocating Bentonville testing lab

A German company that does consumer product safety testing will relocate its Bentonville lab to a larger space this fall.

TÜV Rheinland of North America Inc. will move the lab to a 20,000-square-foot building at 2709 S.E. Otis Corley Drive at the Southeast 28th Street intersection. According to county property records, the company paid $3.75 million for the 3.3-acre property ($187.50 per square foot) in June 2022 and is the sole tenant.

The company’s previous lab was a 15,800-square-foot space just down the street at 2713 S.E. Otis Corley Drive. It opened in 2010 as an ISO 17025-accredited chemical and mechanical testing lab by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA).

In a news release, company officials said they bought the building rather than leasing “to establish a sustainable long-term base and offer the best services to major United States retailers and global brand customers.”

The move will also expand the company’s capabilities to meet the growing needs of the U.S. testing market.

“Our Bentonville lab’s expansion and relocation demonstrates our commitment to our customers in the USA,” said Jonathan Kotrba, a company vice president.

The new lab is expected to be operational in October this year. Unlimited Contractors in Rogers is using a building permit valued at $1.3 million for a building remodel. Nielsen Architecture in Bentonville is the architect.

TÜV Rheinland has 34 full-time employees in Northwest Arkansas, with plans to hire more soon. Lillian Peregrina is the Bentonville lab director.

“In our new location, we will improve workflows for analytical chemical and mechanical testing,” Peregrina said. “We are creating a world-class analytical chemistry capability scope for all types of toys and retail products.”