In 1981, formulation chemist John Efroymson found himself facing unemployment when his company, Roman Cleanser of Detroit Michigan, had to close its doors. Having enjoyed his work and having a family to support, John forged ahead by reformulating his talents in the form of a small chemical consulting firm, Sterling Consultants. John purchased as much lab equipment from Roman Cleanser as he could and moved it to Sylvania to start the next chapter of his life…and the first chapter of Sterling.
John’s new business allowed him to continue the good work he was doing as a chemist, and clients were pleased with his formulations. One good thing led to another when John’s clients expressed an increased need for quality control measures as well as curiosity about their competitors’ performance. These inquiries ushered in a new focus for John and a new era for Sterling.
In 1991, Tod Losey, a fresh-from-the-Navy environmental technology student, began working for John as a lab tech. Tod advanced to laboratory manager in 1994 and has been further solidifying his Sterling loyalty ever since. By 2004, Sterling’s founder decided it was time to retire. John sold his company, by then called Sterling Laboratories, to Ralph Wooddell, who asked Tod to stay on as his partner.
Over the next 15 years, Tod and Ralph, the new dynamic cleaning duo, continued to deliver the exceptional service and performance testing clients had come to expect from Sterling. Ready to retire himself in 2019, Ralph handed over the reins by selling his share of the company to Tod and his wife, Lindy, Sterling’s Chief Financial Officer. Today, Tod and Lindy continue to serve Sterling clients with just the right mix of outstanding testing strategies, straightforward testing results, and personalized service.
