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Micro Quality Labs Inc. |
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May 28, 2018 Issue |
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CEOCFO MAGAZINE |
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Q&A with Karine Aylozyan, President of Micro Quality Labs Inc. providing Microbiological and Analytical Testing for the Cosmetic, OTC, and Dietary Supplement Industries |
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President
Micro Quality Labs Inc.
Interview conducted by: Lynn Fosse, Senior Editor, CEOCFO Magazine, Published – May 28, 2018
CEOCFO: Ms. Aylozyan, what is the focus for Micro Quality Labs today? Ms. Aylozyan: The focus of the business is to make sure that we are able to provide quality service and educate consumers (especially manufacturers that we work with) about safety and what is needed to be tested to meet compliance.
CEOCFO: How do you work with your clients? Ms. Aylozyan: We normally have a direct relationship with our clients. We believe in communication. In addition to emails, we believe in making sure that if there is anything that is out of spec or more technical, that we are able to be on the phone with them explaining the specific details. That way they are aware of the concerns and what is needed to be done in order to meet compliance.
CEOCFO: Would you tell us about the range of testing that you do? Ms. Aylozyan: Micro Quality Labs specializes in microbiological and analytical testing. We perform testing for the cosmetic, OTC, and dietary supplement industry. We perform a variety of testing including but not limited to stability, pesticides, residual solvents, microbiological assays of ecoli, bacteria, and more. We do a lot of different tests to make sure that the product is safe before it reaches consumers. If there are any problems, we like to share that ahead of time with our manufacturers and clients so that they are able to rectify those before the product reaches the consumer.
CEOCFO: Would a client ask you to perform a specific list of tests? What is an engagement like? Ms. Aylozyan: Normally our clients are familiar with this industry and know the requirements to meet GMP/GOP manufacturing. We are an ISO certified laboratory and we are also with Health Canada and FDA registered as well as DEA (The Drug Enforcement Administration) Class 1, 2 and 3. Most manufacturers know what is needed, however, if they do not, (and there are some people who are not familiar with all of the regulations with all countries), we are able to provide service where we can consult and let them know what testing is needed. Ultimately it is up to them to decide what their specification is and what testing they need to perform.
CEOCFO: Are there nuances to some of the testing where you might do it in a different way than another lab or are the tests straightforward? Ms. Aylozyan: For our testing we follow all USP, FCC, AOAC methods and different country regulated USP pharmacopia methods. Basically all labs are following the same procedures, however, what makes our lab stand apart is that we are able to provide attention to that analysis. For example, every matrix and different product has something unique about them, so their ingredients are a little different from other competitors. If something is failing such as a sunscreen product and the result is low, we do not just say here you go it is failing, but we trouble shoot and then determine if it is failing because the general method that is provided is not working for their matrix. We sit down with the customer and go over validations, seeing if the product or the active is coated so we can break the encapsulation. Our lab gives more attention to the data and provides more method development for the product. That way, if the customer gets a failing result, they know that we have explored every avenue first and the result needs to be worked on at their end, to make sure that they are compliant with regulations.
CEOCFO: Are there continually new tests? Would you tell us about the general industry of testing? Ms. Aylozyan: There are always new tests in this industry (cosmetics as well as nutritional). They are two different industries, so the regulations are similar yet a little more specific for each field. Now with things going more natural in cosmetics, there is a lot of testing going on making sure the product is gluten free, sulfate free, etc. There is also more testing for heavy metals for prop 65 to make sure you are compliant with lead, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium (especially in California). There is more concern about formaldehyde and endotoxins. There is a lot of new testing in general. We always make sure we are one step ahead and that our methods are ISO credited so our manufacturers are getting the best technology available.
CEOCFO: Are clients turning to you because they understand the difference in your approach or are they often pleasantly surprised to find out what you bring to the table? Ms. Aylozyan: I would say it is a little bit of both. Our clients are normally dedicated to us because one, they like the personal attention and service. Two, they also like the education and they know we are different and do not just fax results.
CEOCFO: You mentioned global. How do you reach out to global companies? Is that a growing part of your business? Ms. Aylazyan: We are ISO 17025 certified and have been for seven years. ISO is basically international standardization procedures. We are ISO for a list of items that can be found on our website, and because we are ISO 17025, we are able to work with all countries. Our documentation should be accepted in Europe, Canada, Dubai, Japan etc. We work with many other countries and we get a lot of contacts from different countries besides California in the United States.
CEOCFO: Do many companies in other countries feel that US testing is better? Ms. Aylazyan: Yes, they do find that U.S. pricing is more competitive and the service is different
CEOCFO: Micro Quality Labs will be at Supply Side West next week. What do you hope to showcase there and how do you stand out with lots of other people exhibiting as well? Ms. Aylazyan: We are actually one of the sponsors for Supply Side West and the reason we are there is to give our clients the opportunity to meet us and know we are real. Many times we work with clients but you really do not know face to face who you are working with. For us, Supply Side West is an opportunity for our clients to be able to come see us, meet with us and be able to know who they are working with. That is our main purpose of Supply Side West every year.
CEOCFO: What has changed in your approach over time? What might you do differently today? Ms. Aylazyan: I do not know if anything has changed. We always continue to focus on clients’ services, making sure they are number one. I think over time, the company has grown as well, so adjusting to the growth and making sure our clients level of service is not affected by the change is very important to us.
CEOCFO: What are the intangibles you look for in your people so that you are fairly certain they do understand the customer focus? Ms. Aylazyan: We take time to hire specific people. It takes us a good six months for customer service and a good nine months for chemists and microbiologists. We are very particular of who we hire. Service is always spoken of in our meeting, which is pretty routine. We like to emphasize the importance of customer service and clients being first. It is important to determine if the person we are interviewing or trying out is the right person to join our team. It is very challenging and I think the hardest thing in our industry right now is making sure we are finding the right people to make sure they fit in with the company’s quality beliefs. If someone doesn’t believe in good customer service, then they are not a good fit for Micro Quality Labs.
CEOCFO: You are in a crowded industry. Why choose Micro Quality Labs? Mr. Aylazyan: We are not for everyone because we do have that personal attention. There are people that like just getting the results. If you choose Micro Quality Labs, you are choosing constant communication via email, phone call, having direct communication with people here. We do not believe in leaving messages on voicemail. We have live operators here that transfer your messages and calls to direct customer service specialists. If you choose Micro Quality Labs, it is a two way relationship. We like to grow with our manufactures and clients. We believe it is a mutual relationship, so if they grow, we grow, if they have problems, it is our problem. If you choose to work with Micro Quality Labs, you should expect to have communication on a daily basis.
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“If you choose Micro Quality Labs, it is a two way relationship. We like to grow with our manufactures and clients.”- Karine Aylozyan
Micro Quality Labs Inc.
Contact: Karine Aylozyan 818-845-0071 or 818-606-0601 karine@microqualitylabs.com and customerservice@microqualitylabs.com
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Microbiological Test, Micro Quality Labs Inc., Stability Testing and Storage Services, Karine Aylozyan, Providing Microbiological and Analytical Testing for the Cosmetic, OTC, and Dietary Supplement Industries, CEO Interviews 2018, Healthcare Companies, Industrial Companies, Analytical Testing, General Microbiology Testing, Pharmaceutical OTC testing, Personal Care Cosmetics, Validations, Heavy Metal Testing, Nutritional Dietary Supplements, ISO Certified Test Methods, Micro Quality Labs Inc. Press Releases, News |
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Karine
Aylozyan