Azzur Group celebrates 10 years of growth and change

When Kym Faylor started Azzur Labs in Schnecksville back in 2012 she had high hopes for the growth and success of the lab services company, but she said she didn’t have expectations. 

“I wasn’t sure we’d get to this point,” she said. She knew that many smaller labs, like Azzur, can be limited by their nature and focus. Most peak at revenue of between $1 million and $2 million per year. 

But now, as the company celebrates its 10th anniversary, she’s proud to say Azzur has grown from that one Schnecksville lab to six labs across the country, employing more than 50 lab technicians and expected 2022 revenue of more than $9 million. 

She also has plans to open a seventh lab in San Fransico in early 2023 to help fill out Azzur’s national footprint to best serve a wider variety of clients across the country. 

Faylor said she knows the company wouldn’t have grown so quickly to the size and success it is today without the colleagues she works with and said she has been lucky to find the right people to work with to help grow her vision. 

“The colleagues that I work with are what I’m most proud of,” she said. Knowing their value and trying to provide the culture and benefits they seek are part of what she said has helped Azzur Group succeed. 

But that isn’t always easy. 

Azzur’s Schnecksville lab was one of the first offices honored by Lehigh Valley Business for being one of the “Coolest Offices in the Lehigh Valley.” 

At the time the labs boasted such things as video and table games to give staff a break from their microscopes. 

But over time, she noted, her staff has grown older, had families and their needs and wants have changed. 

Rather than having an afterwork beer party, or games to amuse them, they’re more interested in other benefits for their family. 

To support her growing changing workforce, she has had to adapt to keep the kind of culture that is needed. 

“Your culture needs to grow along with the staff. You have to understand what makes your colleagues happy,” she said. 

However, she said the emphasis on culture is worth it in the end. 

“Azzur Labs is defined not only by delivering exceptional quality to our clients but also by our core values; values that each employee believes in and exhibits in all capacities in their role,” she said. 

Not only has Azzur’s staff and footprint grown, so has the services it offers. 

“Drug development today has transitioned the industry requiring us to be more adaptable and innovative,” Faylor said. 

In addition to doing packaging testing for drug companies, Azzur is also performing analytical drug testing, chemistry and calibration. 

The real growth area she sees, however, is in cell and gene therapy, which are often very personalized tests and perfect for the smaller labs Azzur runs. 

“The procurement of laboratory testing services has veered towards a more strategic approach, especially in the cell therapy and gene therapy markets,” she said.  “Due to the nature of these therapies, traditional testing methodologies are not sufficient to meet the requirements for these industries.” 

Faylor plans to add cell and gene therapy testing to Azzur’s lab sites in North Carolina and Massachusetts and will also add such testing to the new lab in San Fransico when it opens. 

In the end, Faylor said she loves the work. 

“We believe the world of research is always on the brink of amazing discoveries and advances that will allow us to live healthier and happier lives.  I founded Azzur Labs to help these companies move from the drug discovery phase to delivery by assisting with developing and conducting analytical testing that is compliant with global regulations,” she said.