AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS – April 11, 2013 – Materials Engineering Research Laboratory Limited (MERL) has now formally been rebranded as ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ Hitchin. 

As a recognized market leader in the field of non-metallic’s, servicing majors and prime manufacturers throughout the Oil & Gas, Aerospace and Transportation sectors, the 2012 acquisition of MERL further supports ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½’s strategy to provide industry-leading services for the growing implementation of non-metallic materials in new application areas across these industry sectors.

As an integral part of the ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ Group of companies, all of the resources and knowledge of MERL, the test facilities and their staff will continue to provide the same evaluation, testing and analysis services of polymeric materials, components and structure. In addition ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ Hitchin’s clients will now also be able to benefit from the full scope of services available from ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½’s international network of testing laboratories and experts. 

Charles Noall, President and CEO of ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½, says: “ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ Hitchin represents a major step forward in achieving our overarching goal of becoming the world’s largest materials testing company, particularly in non-metallic materials. The full incorporation of this world renowned UK-based polymer engineering and facility significantly extends ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½’s capabilities, allowing the company to provide an even more wide-ranging service to major clients in the Oil & Gas, Aerospace and Power Generation industries.”

About ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½

ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ is a company with a global presence; its laboratories are staffed by experts specializing in materials testing, product qualification testing and failure analysis for the Aerospace, Oil & Gas and Transportation and Industrials sectors. ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½’s team of 1,600 scientists, engineers and technicians work in 45 facilities located throughout the U.S. and Europe. For a complete list of Accreditations & Approvals and more information, please visit www.element.com. 

Media Contact 

Alison Dwyer or Matthew Judge, Smith & Smith PR Ltd., tel: +44 161 927 9487, email: ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½@smithandsmithpr.co.uk.