LGC was founded in 1996 following the privatisation of the Laboratory of the Government Chemist, today LGC is owned by the management and staff and funds managed by the investment group Bridgepoint.
LGC retains its statutory role as Government Chemist, acting as the referee in cases where there is a dispute over analytical results or their interpretation.
Since privatisation, LGC has significantly expanded its activities. Staff numbers have risen from 270 in 1996 to 1,460 in 2011, as the company has grown organically and through multiple acquisitions. A number of significant acquisitions since 1996 include: KBioscience, AGOWA, Forensic Alliance Limited, Mikromol, Promochem and University Diagnostics Ltd; and the outsourcing of analytical services from BNG and Sentinel Performance Solutions.
