Established in 1955, BioLab®, Inc. began as a small family business geared towards the production of cleansing agents and disinfectants for the poultry industry. Products were developed specifically to help maintain healthy environments in the hatcheries, processing plants and poultry farms of the southeastern United States. With Founder/CEO Leon Bloom serving as part of a two man sales force, it wasn’t long before the company realized that the equipment used to produce the cleaning agents and disinfectants for the poultry industry could be used to create products for other industries.
As early as 1962, Atlanta-based BioLab, had expanded its use of chemical processes to include the BioGuard® line of swimming pool and spa maintenance products. Paving the industry’s way for insight into microbiology and chemical processes, BioLab executives also realized the traditional one-cure-fits-all pools approach would not serve their growing client base for long. What the consumer needed was a system. A program that allowed chemicals to work together, thus maximizing their effect on maintaining the health and sparkle of pools and spas. This would eventually develop a three-step system that overcame many traditional pool care systems.
BioLab’s research and development eventually led to a more refined program geared to the maintenance of healthy pools and spas as well as the treatment of adverse pool and spa conditions. By 1980, the upstart family business had evolved into the leading producer and seller of pool and spa care products, not only in the U.S., but throughout the world. Alex Chandler, of Bio-Lab Canada, led the push into South Africa, Australia and Europe through the BioGuard® brand and later with Bayrol®.
OMNI® was developed as a distribution brand in the 1980s, which also saw BioLab move into the mass merchant channel with the Pool Time® brand (sold only at Home Depot) and the acquisition of Aqua Chem® a decade later. In 2003, the BioLab family of consumer brands further expanded with the purchase of The Works®, thereby signaling the advent of the Household division of cleaning products. Greased Lightning® was added in 2004 to further diversify the portfolio.
At the close of 2013, the global BioLab business was purchased by KIK Custom Products of Toronto, Canada and became part of the KIK Classic Division.