As the membership and meeting guests journey to Nashville for the April 7-8 Spring RIMA International committee and membership meetings, a special pre-meeting event has been arranged. It just so happens that some of our leading industry experts have their testing facility nearby, so a special tour has been arranged on Wednesday, April 6th.
R&D Services, Inc. was founded in 1994 by Ron Graves and Dr. David Yarbrough working from Ron’s basement in Lenoir City, Tennessee, with only a small room of equipment but decades of knowledge. In 1997, R&D officially became an accredited laboratory by NVLAP, which operates under the US Department of Commerce. This further boosted their growth, and in 2001 they moved to a larger building to house their expanding laboratory capabilities. In 2003, R&D moved again to their facility in Cookeville, Tennessee, where they stayed for the next 17 years; and in 2020, they relocated into a brand-new state of the art facility in Watertown, Tennessee. This is where your tour will take place.
Today R&D works closely with some of the largest insulation manufacturers in the world. They serve clients on six continents and test innovative and conventional insulation products from all industries. They continually expand their capabilities for testing, engineering and inspection services and work with code bodies and approval agencies in all parts of the world. They work closely with ASTM to improve current test methods and develop new test methods for evaluating ever-changing products. Please join us for the tour of this fascinating facility on Wednesday, April 6th. The group will depart the Margaritaville Hotel at 2 p.m. and return by 6. Registration in advance is required by contacting the RIMA-I office at rima@rima.net.