Bernard Mao, Operation Manger – Keith Toh, Principal Director – Lim Huishan, Finance Controller – Kelly Koo, Business Office Manger, i-Lab Engineering

Laboratories and related facilities are quite complex and sophisticated structures. The longevity of such structures depends on the expertise of the forces that play behind the curtain. A failure in the decision-making or construction process can result in huge damage and loss in terms of time and money. Such a scenario calls for adept assistance to carry out the processes with accuracy and efficiency. Helping various establishments and institutions in laboratory-related construction and services is i-Lab Engineering, one of the leading laboratory construction companies in Singapore. Known for their unparalleled quality of service, the company provides a total solution to clients that include scopes such as design, project management, project execution, and commissioning.

Inception

i-Lab Engineering’s inception was impelled by the lack of companies in the marketplace, in the early 2000s, that focus on the significance of finished and MEP requirements in the bioscience industries. “I decided to start i-Lab Engineering in 2006 to solely work on laboratory-related projects in accordance with our mission statement; focus and deliver,” says Keith Toh, the director of i-Lab Engineering. The company’s mission ‘focus and deliver’ emphasizes the delivery of the projects within the time frame meeting all customers’ expectations. The company’s extensive experience in this field has made them competent enough to handle and manage all kinds of projects even if they differ in their functions, nature and requirements.

i-Lab Engineering became a success in the market by offering supreme quality of project delivery where every requirement is met and fulfilled without any failure. It is the company’s remarkably dedicated group of skilled specialists and staff that helps in completing every project and delivering it within the time and cost while maintaining the quality. The team is recognized for their ability to execute fast-track projects with design understanding, testing, and commissioning while meeting the requirements of international standards in projects. Bernard Mao, Wilson Wong & Kelly Koo—all played a major role in ensuring i-Lab Engineering meet their business goals.

Road to Unbeatable Competency

In the initial stages, i-Lab Engineering was focusing more on the architectural scope of work. Over time the company got exposure to other areas of trade allowing for further expansion areas like design, procurement, and construction. Now after a decade in this field, i-Lab Engineering are able to deliver projects in different market segment, such as pharmaceutical industries, Research Institution, Vivarium facilities, Healthcare facilities, Biosafety Containment Facilities and other conventional labs. The deliverables include multiple trades execution for turnkey project construction, maintenance of laboratory, waste effluent treatment system, and pre-certification of BSL3/ABSL3 laboratory.

Within 4 years of establishment, i-lab Engineering was acquired by Global 500 company based on its growth and success. During the acquired period, the company got to experience in-house trainings for customer project processes that emphasize project execution and customer service, which has in turn helped them to become more systematic and dynamic for their clients.

Professionalism at Every Corner

i-Lab Engineering is always diligent in serving their mission: focus and deliver. For this reason, every department is managed with indisputable professionalism. Qualified and proficient individuals are assigned to head each department to oversee all the operations and ensure efficiency. That being said, for design, the company has worked with qualified personnel locally and overseas depending on the needs of the projects.

However, project management/execution is what i-Lab Engineering believes to be their forte. The company prides on their staff’s potency and on the fact that most of them have been working with them since the genesis of i-Lab Engineering. The young and enthusiastic team, who are always looking for opportunities to learn, has been leading the many successful projects for the company and continues to excel in what they do. According to Keith Toh, one of i-Lab Engineering’s long suits is their vast knowledge of the different nature of lab construction. “We are well-versed in providing commissioning/qualifications/validation services which are led by our specific CQV team,” Keith Toh adds.

The company approaches every project with the utmost consideration. “Not all projects are the same, each project will be met with new challenges from the internal and external environment, on top of that, the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting almost every industry,” shares Keith Toh. For this reason, once they take up a project, the right team is assigned to carry out the tasks and deliver within the time and cost without compromising the quality. This team will also be completely engaged in the project to ensure that it is meeting every need of the customer and will also be constantly supervising the project for potential risks which can be mitigated in the early stages.

Keith Toh looks forward to a future where i-Lab Engineering will be recognized as a leading contractor for bioscience and related industries. The company vows not to short-change in their mission and prefers to work ‘with the client’ rather than working for them. Keith Toh adds that this approach helps them to be focused and not deviate from achieving their goal as the project progresses. Keith Toh also points out the commitment of his staff to serve the company’s mission and recalls how most of them started their career with i-Lab Engineering. “The value of i-Lab Engineering is to work as a team and cross the finishing line together; from the manager to installer,” reflects Keith Toh.

Going forward, the company will continue to work towards their objective of serving their customers with high standard of quality and workmanship. Keith Toh also shares his plans to keep the bar high for their newcomers as they growth further. Besides, the company will continue to improve their quality of work as they expand. Keeping that goal in mind, i-Lab Engineering’s whole team has been putting their efforts to enhance their expertise with every project they take upon from technical, and construction to asset management. “We believe what we do is important and each of us is continuously trying to advance in every aspect of our expertise,” Keith Toh concludes.