Charles River Laboratories Increases SPF Egg Capabilities with New Facility 

FRANKLIN, Conn. (March 18, 2008) – Charles River Laboratories, Avian Products and Services (SPAFAS),  will complete construction this spring on an additional 13,000 square foot production facility to increase the company’s U.S. SPF egg production capacity by 10 percent.

“We’re stepping up our capacity to effectively meet our increasing customer (SPF egg) needs,” said Birgit Girshick, general manager.

With construction beginning in September 2007, the company is expanding after continuously gaining market share and experiencing rising customer demand.

The facility is located on a remote site and uses the latest technologies. By doing so, the company meets and exceeds rigorous bio-security standards, while serving customers more efficiently.

“We are on schedule to start placing birds in April, utilizing the proven Charles River production methods and quality control procedures our customers expect” said Girshick.

The site, a 435,700 square foot tract, also allows Charles River Laboratories room for future growth.

“This shows our commitment and continued investment in the industry,” she said.

Charles River Laboratories, Avian Products and Services (SPAFAS), was founded in 1961 as the world’s first commercial producer of specific pathogen-free chicken embryos. Headquarters for the worldwide corporation are in Franklin, Conn., and egg production facilities are located in the United States, Mexico and Europe. Charles River Laboratories (SPAFAS) supplies the biologics and poultry industries, as well as the scientific community, with fertile chicken eggs that exceed USDA and European Pharmacopoeia requirements. For more information, contact Charles River at 1-800-SPAFAS-1 or email at csdspf@crl.com.