Inventors, nerds, pioneers. Call us what you will, we’re Labman.

Labman is a creative environment where friendly, enthusiastic engineers produce world-leading laboratory technology. We believe in customers being clients for life; delighted with every project.

PurposeScience enabled through technology.

PhilosophyEngineering excellence achieved through self-discipline with supportive leadership, sustainable partnerships and openness, driven forward with kindness, humour and enthusiasm.

Labman’s leadership

A family-run business, we’re proud of our heritage and the continuity of support this brings to our customers and our community.

Andrew Whitwell

Chair of the BoardSince 1992, Andrew, driven by his passion for engineering and technology, has led Labman's remarkable journey from startup to an industry leader in lab technology. Besides overseeing the company and leading the board, he actively contributes to Labman's system development and advocates for its work/play philosophy.

white male wearing a blue shirt laughing and smiling

Ian Riley

Managing DirectorIan manages the design, compliance, and support of all of our projects. He also oversees Labman's daily operations, HR, projects, and key customer accounts. With an MEng in Mechatronics from Leeds University, he specialises in instrumentation design and manufacturing, ensuring compliance with EU directives.

Christine Smith

Financial DirectorChristine, a dedicated member of Labman since 1998, serves as the company's financial director, ensuring the company's financial well-being. With her extensive expertise in accounting, budgeting, and forecasting, she plays a pivotal role in evaluating project feasibility and viability.

Paul Chilton

Head of EngineeringAn experienced electrical engineer, software engineer and project manager, Paul leads the plethora of engineering teams at Labman. With his guidance, projects maintain their high quality as well as pushing the boundaries of the latest technologies.

Rob Hodgson

Head of ExperienceRob heads up our product development team, driving the creation of cutting-edge instruments and devices tailored to diverse industry needs. As the Head of Experience, he is adept at developing and implementing HR strategies to enhance overall employee satisfaction and organisational success.

Josie Burton

Head of OperationsJosie is a seasoned professional, proficient at overseeing Labman's operations by ensuring streamlined processes, optimal resource utilisation and data capture in our extensive internal knowledgebase. With a keen eye for detail, she also serves as the Quality Manager, implementing rigorous standards to maintain the highest levels of product quality and regulatory compliance.

Locations

UK-based, world-leading

Heaquartered in North Yorkshire, we have strong roots in our local communities across the UK, but our reach extends from the US to Australia. If you're ever passing a Labman location, please come in, you'll always be welcome.

HQ, North Yorkshire, UK

We're located in an amazing rural situation on the outskirts of the Georgian Market town of Stokesley - a stone’s throw from the breath-taking East Coast and the North York Moors. We're very fortunate to work in such a beautiful part of the world. Our countryside HQ features a full-size climbing wall, a squash court, go-karts, basketball, highly competitive pool & table tennis leagues, and even a VR zone. Work hard, play hard is very much a reality here.

Jealott's Hill, Greater London

Our office near London is based out of the Jealott's Hill International Research Centre, Syngenta's largest R&D site in the world. Being on-site brings the possibility of automation to the table for all the technicians here, who need solutions for various processes, particularly bespoke sample preparation and testing, on a large scale. In addition, this base is ideally located for making automation accessible for the whole of the south of the UK.

Liverpool

We have a permanent office base at Liverpool University's Materials Innovation Factory (the MIF). With a large number of Labman projects on site, including the open access Formulation Engine, we provide rapid support for the north-west region of the UK.

Raleigh, NC

Based in the largest research park in the US, Research Triangle Park, our office on the outskirts of Raleigh, North Carolina serves as a versatile space for meetings, product demonstrations, and spare part storage. This facility underscores our commitment to our U.S. customers, enabling us to provide unparalleled support and collaboration to drive scientific innovation.

Blog

The latest insights and updates

Keep up-to-date with how we’re growing, what our teams are creating and the exciting advancements our technologies are unlocking for our customers.

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3rd Apr 2025A day in the life of the Head of ElectricalAt Labman, we pride ourselves on innovation and expertise in automation. One of the key players in delivering top-notch electrical systems is Lucy, our talented electrical engineer who heads up the electrical area of the Labman team. With her technical knowledge and meticulous attention to detail, Lucy ensures that our systems are not only cutting-edge but also function safely and reliably.

Labman cultureTeam profile

28th Feb 2025Bringing cobots to the lab with Universal Robots.Universal Robots has established itself as a leader in the cobot industry, designing and manufacturing robotic arms that are highly flexible, user-friendly, and efficient.

Innovation showcase

20th Dec 2024The Labman Christmas Party 2024The holiday spirit was in full swing last Friday at Labman’s annual Christmas party, fondly known as Sausagefest! It was an evening packed with fun and games, delicious German sausages and some unforgettable moments as the team came together to celebrate another incredible year.

Labman cultureEvents

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