Micro Essential Laboratory
Micro Essential Laboratory, Inc., founded by Walter Florin in 1934, is a manufacturer and global supplier of Hydrion pH Test Papers, Sanitizer Test Kits, pH Buffer Standards, and Specialty Test Papers. The company is the original manufacturer of Hydrion and pHydrion pH products.
History
As a member of his high school’s microscope club, Walter began experimenting with different dyes and chemicals and their application to pH measurement, and noticed a genuine need for a solution to standardized pH testing. With this need in mind, Walter manufactured his first hand-made pH paper while working at his family’s pharmacy. His papers soon became a profitable business, and he named his small company Micro Essential Laboratory, Inc.
Over the years Walter gained broad experience in the use of dyes and began experimenting with pH testing for a variety of different applications. His efforts paid off with the development of the Hydrion line of pH test paper strips, sanitizer test papers, and pH buffer standards, along with various specialty test papers.
The company demonstrated its specialty in test paper applications by partnering with Eli Lilly and Company in the development of the Eli Lilly product “Test Tape.” Manufactured under the company name Hydrion Test Products, Test Tape was the standard test used by diabetics to measure glucose in urine for more than thirty years. In 1954, the company relocated to Brooklyn.
With Walter’s guidance the business has passed to his sons, current owners Mark and Joel Florin.