Charles River Laboratories 2454708 222618313 2008-06-30T08:16:45Z 86.216.169.135 {{Infobox_Company | company_name = Charles River Laboratories, Inc.| company_logo = [[Image:CharlesRiverLab logo.png]]| company_type = [[Public company|Public]]| company_slogan = We Make Caring Happen| foundation = [[1947]]| location = [[Wilmington, Massachusetts]]| key_people = [[James C. Foster]], [[Chief executive officer|CEO]] | industry = [[Pharmaceutical]]/[[Medical Devices]]| num_employees = 8,500| revenue = | products = | homepage = [http://www.criver.com Charles Rivers Laboratories]| }} '''Charles River Laboratories, Inc.''' {{nyse|CRL}} is an American [[corporation]] specializing in a broad spectrum of pre-clinical and clinical [[laboratory]] services for the [[pharmaceutical]], [[medical device]] and [[biotechnology]] industries. It is the world's largest supplier of animals for [[Animal testing|laboratory experimentation]], and has been described as the "General Motors of the [[laboratory animal industry]].<ref>Christensen, Carl Roland. ''Business Policy: Text and Cases''. R.D. Irwin, 1982, p. 54.</ref> It also supplies a range of biomedical products and [[research and development]] [[outsourcing]] services for use in the pharmaceutical industry. According to its website, its customers include every major pharmaceutical and biotechnology company in the world, leading academic institutions, and government research centers.<ref>[http://www.criver.com/about_charles_river/corporate_overview/about_us.html "About Charles River"], Charles River Laboratories.</ref> The company was founded in 1947 and is headquartered at 251 Ballardvale Street, [[Wilmington, Massachusetts]], in the [[Boston]] metropolitan area. The chief executive officer is [[James C. Foster]]. With over 8,500 employees, the company has facilities in Canada, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom. ==Controversy== The company has been the target of [[animal rights]] activists in the UK. It ran [[Shamrock Farm]] in West Sussex, which closed in 2000 following a 15-month campaign by animal rights campaigners. It also has a large site at Manston Road, [[Margate]], Kent, where it breeds chickens, rabbits, mice, rats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and gerbils. A case of arson was perpetrated on the 29th june 2008 in Saint Germain sur l'Arbresle (Rhone - France) where 325 people work at the laboratories. The FLA (Front de Liberation des Animaux), french branch of the ALF, is suspected. ==Mergers== In October 2003, [[Charles River Laboratories]] merged with [[Inveresk]], a [[UK]] owned [[Research]] Company. The Company was then known as [[Charles River Laboratories]]. [[Inveresk]] specialised in [[Clinical]] and [[Pre-clinical]] [[testing]], and there main facilities are in [[Edinburgh]], [[Scotland]]. The [[Pre-clinical]] division known as [[Charles River Laboratories]], [[Preclinical]] Services Edinburgh Ltd, and the [[Clinical]] Division, is known as [[Charles River Clinical Services]]. ==See also== *[[Laboratory animal suppliers in the United Kingdom]] ==Notes== {{reflist}} ==Further reading== *[http://www.criver.com Charles Rivers Laboratories] *[http://www.trial-it.com Charles River Clinical Services] [[Category:Companies established in 1947]] [[Category:Companies based in Massachusetts]] [[Category:Multinational companies]] [[Category:Animal testing]] [[Category:Animal rights]]