Medical lab company Genetworx is doubling the size of one of its local offices and is hiring 300 more employees in response to a surge in demand for COVID-19 testing. (BizSense file)
A positive side effect of the pandemic’s recent Omicron surge is playing out in Innsbrook.
Genetworx, a locally-based medical testing lab, plans to double the size of its office at 4101 Cox Road as the company beefs up its workforce to keep pace with recent demand for COVID-19 testing and other efforts.
“This is in line with the growth we’re seeing here in support of the lab as we continue to grow not just in the COVID side of the business, but also the non-COVID side of the business,” COO Brian Dulin said.
In addition to COVID tests, the company provides testing related to how genes interact with medications, as well as testing for other pathogens and molecular testing.
Genetworx plans to move into its newly leased 10,000-square-foot space in February, bringing its total footprint on the office building’s second floor to about 20,000 square feet.
With the expansion comes about $2 million to $3 million in new equipment in other offices to keep up with test demand. The Cox Road expansion will be home to employees moved to accommodate the new equipment.
The 900-person company operates in 26 states and is in the midst of hiring 300 more in the Richmond area, most of whom will be involved in COVID-19 testing. It’s about a third of the way toward its hiring goal as of this week. It’s looking for lab techs and technical assistants, among other roles.
Genetworx says it has conducted more than 8 million COVID-19 tests since the start of the pandemic and Dulin said that in recent weeks demand for testing has increased. The company offers at-home tests and administers and analyzes on-site tests for workplaces.
“Our volume has doubled in the span of two weeks, hence we needed to at least double our workforce,” he said.
After a ramp up at the start of the pandemic, the company drew down its workforce in the summer when cases and demand for testing waned. Dulin said the company tries to maintain a core of medical and lab technicians but is more flexible with support roles as test demand ebbs and flows.
“We actually think there’s going to be future surges. We believe based on the science that variants will continue to develop over the next few years,” he said. “That’s a model we’re going to have to manage.”
The company, which was founded in 2013, has its headquarters at 4060 Innslake Drive. It also has office space at 4144 Innslake Drive and a warehouse at 1000 Technology Park Drive.
Medical lab company Genetworx is doubling the size of one of its local offices and is hiring 300 more employees in response to a surge in demand for COVID-19 testing. (BizSense file)
A positive side effect of the pandemic’s recent Omicron surge is playing out in Innsbrook.
Genetworx, a locally-based medical testing lab, plans to double the size of its office at 4101 Cox Road as the company beefs up its workforce to keep pace with recent demand for COVID-19 testing and other efforts.
“This is in line with the growth we’re seeing here in support of the lab as we continue to grow not just in the COVID side of the business, but also the non-COVID side of the business,” COO Brian Dulin said.
In addition to COVID tests, the company provides testing related to how genes interact with medications, as well as testing for other pathogens and molecular testing.
Genetworx plans to move into its newly leased 10,000-square-foot space in February, bringing its total footprint on the office building’s second floor to about 20,000 square feet.
With the expansion comes about $2 million to $3 million in new equipment in other offices to keep up with test demand. The Cox Road expansion will be home to employees moved to accommodate the new equipment.
The 900-person company operates in 26 states and is in the midst of hiring 300 more in the Richmond area, most of whom will be involved in COVID-19 testing. It’s about a third of the way toward its hiring goal as of this week. It’s looking for lab techs and technical assistants, among other roles.
Genetworx says it has conducted more than 8 million COVID-19 tests since the start of the pandemic and Dulin said that in recent weeks demand for testing has increased. The company offers at-home tests and administers and analyzes on-site tests for workplaces.
“Our volume has doubled in the span of two weeks, hence we needed to at least double our workforce,” he said.
After a ramp up at the start of the pandemic, the company drew down its workforce in the summer when cases and demand for testing waned. Dulin said the company tries to maintain a core of medical and lab technicians but is more flexible with support roles as test demand ebbs and flows.
“We actually think there’s going to be future surges. We believe based on the science that variants will continue to develop over the next few years,” he said. “That’s a model we’re going to have to manage.”
The company, which was founded in 2013, has its headquarters at 4060 Innslake Drive. It also has office space at 4144 Innslake Drive and a warehouse at 1000 Technology Park Drive.
These are temporary jobs; they hired a lot of techs during 2020 and laid them off when things slowed down, Same will happen again
Yes, I would not think these jobs would have a long term future
Covid testing will slow down, yes, but it will not stop soon. I wish it would.