R&D Services, Inc. was founded in 1994, but the foundation of R&D goes all the way back to the 1970’s when the United States found itself in two separate energy crises. These crises forced the US to reduce fuel consumption and dedicate more effort to increasing energy efficiency in homes and businesses. The US Department of Energy worked together with Oak Ridge National Laboratory to research and develop innovative ways to test insulation products and decrease US dependence on oil.

Ron Graves and Dr. David Yarbrough worked at ORNL during this time period and were instrumental in researching insulation products, developing new test methods, evaluating product performance, and advancing building construction techniques. Ron and Dave dedicated the rest of their career at ORNL to these efforts and became two of the world’s leading experts in insulation and testing.

In 1994, Ron and Dave decided to take their expertise to the private business world and create R&D Services, Inc. R&D started in Ron’s basement in Lenoir City, TN with only a small room of equipment and decades of knowledge. R&D quickly became a contributor to the insulation industry and worked closely with some of the largest insulation manufacturers in the world. In 1997, R&D officially became an accredited laboratory by NVLAP, which operates under the US Department of Commerce. This further boosted the growth of R&D, and in 2001 Ron and Dave made a move to a larger building to house their expanding laboratory capabilities. Quickly growing, in 2003 R&D made another move to its location in Cookeville, Tennessee where it would stay for the next 17 years. In 2020, R&D relocated into a brand-new state of the art facility in Watertown, Tennessee. The new location would allow for expansion of the business and elevated service to its clients.

Since 1994, R&D has grown from a small two-person operation into an accredited organization that works with building product manufacturers around the world. They serve clients on 6 continents and test innovative and conventional insulation products from all industries. R&D is continually expanding their capabilities for testing, engineering, and inspection services, and works with code bodies and approval agencies in all parts of the world. They also work closely with ASTM to improve current test methods and develop new test methods for evaluating always-changing products. R&D looks forward to helping you meet all of your development and testing needs.