We were looking for ways to involve our customers in our 50th anniversary celebrations in 2021 and we thought what would be more fun than holding an agar art competition.
A massive thank you to everyone who took part in our first ever agar art competition, the standard of the entries was fantastic.
There were a couple of themes amongst the entrants – animals and the NHS! We particularly enjoyed Sophie D’s elephant, who looked a little mischievous, and Jenny P’s rabbit.
The microscope from Jayasingh J was also very impressive and intricate. It was also great to see several entries celebrating the fantastic work of the NHS, now in its 73rd year and at a time when it has faced perhaps it’s biggest challenge.
As always with these things, a winner has to be picked and because of the intricate use of several organisms which provided a colourful display of flowers, we would like to congratulate Megan W for her wonderful creation. Many congratulations to Megan and many thanks to all who entered.
We planted a tree with the National Trust on behalf of everyone who entered.
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The 80’s –
Early in this decade, PBI launch the SAS air sampler and Cherwell introduce this to Evans Medical in Runcorn. They purchase units and ask Cherwell if they can provide the pre filled Contact plates, ideally irradiated. As Cherwell were already manufacturing some plates for their own use, expanding to commercially supply Contact plates seemed a natural step. By the mid 80’s Cherwell had started supplying Evans with gamma irradiated Contact plates for their environmental monitoring.
As demand for prefilled Contact plates grew, Lawrence identified a need for a Contact plate filling machine. None existed on the market, so he set about designing his own. The Aurac-20 was conceived and built and put into use. The company also sold a small number of units to clients who were still manufacturing their own plates, a trend that was soon to change.
Cherwell’s first Redipor production cleanroom
During this decade other products followed including a peristaltic pump unit, Lidis 10, for users who wished to hand fill bottles or plates, and the Multi-SAS system. Originally conceived in the later part of the 80’s, Cherwell worked closely with PBI, the inventors and suppliers of the SAS, and Roussel Laboratories in Swindon, now Patheon, who identified a need for a more facility based microbial monitoring system.
Lawrence with Roberto Ligugnana, PBI and Trevor Downey from Roussel
The 90’s –
Cherwell was expanding and built its first production clean room for the manufacture of prepared media. Demand for equipment for clients to make their own plates was starting to decrease as a shift towards buying in prepoured plates accelerated. The Redipor name and range was truly born!
The interest in the Multi-SAS system extends outside the UK as Allergan Pharmaceuticals in Ireland embark on a program of including the system in their rapidly expanding site.
Cherwell’s Multi-SAS Plus system
The Noughties –
Cherwell’s growth continues and in 2004 the business relocated to a single new site in Bicester, expanding is capabilities with a new 500m2 clean room manufacturing suite. The expansion in space also coincides with significant investment in new production equipment to increase output and batch size for plated media to meet growing demand for the Redipor range.
Cherwell expands its product range and is appointed the UK distributor for the Datatrace datalogging product range. These wireless devices are ideal for use in autoclaves for validations.
Datatrace wireless dataloggers
In 2005 Andy Whittard, Lawrence’s son assumes the role of Managing Director and Lawrence becomes Chairman.
The 10’s –
Continued demand for the Redipor range sees Cherwell extend its premises and acquire a neighbouring unit, allowing its clean room facility to be doubled in size. Plate production surpasses 5m units per year and European distribution extends as Dorte Egelund, Denmark and Sterbios, Poland come on board. Henry Franklin joins Cherwell board as Finance Director.
Extension to Redipor cleanroom facility to house new automated packaging lines
In 2011 Cherwell becomes the UK distributor for the Raven range of biological indicators. This business grew successfully for 3 years before a change of strategy by the new owners of Raven brought the relationship to an end.
In 2014 Cherwell adds the Marcor range of decontamination products to its portfolio, offering clean room users the low impact, highly effective DryFog fogging solution which uses Marcor Minncare cold sterilant.
Fogging head of the new all stainless steel DryFog 2 system
In 2015 Martyn Young joins as Operations Director.
ISO-Con-90 slit to agar continuous monitoring system
Cherwell extends its environmental monitoring solutions by becoming a distributor of the Pinpoint range of ImpactAir slit to agar samplers. In 2019 Cherwell invests in Pinpoint to help the company develop a range of 90mm Petri dish slit to agar samplers to meet industry demands for continuous monitoring in pharma clean rooms, as outlined in the new draft Annex 1.
Cherwell makes a major investment into a new ERP system and goes live on November 1st 2019.
The 20’s –
In September 2020 sadly Lawrence passed away at the age of 83. His legacy is a successful, prosperous business that is well set for the years ahead, which places the importance of the customer at its heart.
Lawrence Whittard, founder of Cherwell Laboratories
And 2021 sees the company celebrate 50 years in business
The Cherwell business continues to grow, both domestically and internationally. New distributors continue to be added, SPD Scientific in Singapore and trans-Enor in Taiwan being the latest additions.
Cherwell also strengthens its team, Emma Millburn joins as Director of Sales to help lead the future strategic growth of the business.
The 70’s –
1971 – Company name is set up by Lawrence Whittard, veterinary surgeon by profession, and starts trading performing laboratory analytical work as a result of consultancy work Lawrence had been undertaking for the Central Pathology Laboratory in Welwyn Garden.
In 1974 Cherwell becomes a Limited company, Mike Butcher joins the business as a fellow Director to help grow the analytical work.
It was in 1975 that Lawrence visits the British Lab Week show at Olympia and is introduced to Roberto Ligugnana from Pool Bioanalysis Italiana (PBI). Roberto is visiting the UK looking for a distributor for their range of laboratory equipment, which includes media preparation equipment. Cherwell are appointed and start selling into microbiology labs across the UK.
Lawrence receiving a competition prize at British Lab Week
