The beginning...

"Hardy Media" was formed in October 1980 by Robert Shibata and Jay Hardy. The founders were both licensed Medical Laboratory Technologists, working at local hospitals in the Santa Barbara area, who saw a need for quality culture media in California. Starting with limited funds, they originally provided media to a large regional hospital (Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital). After news of the company's initial success spread, other laboratories in the area asked to be supplied by Hardy Media.

The owners eventually left their hospital jobs and made a commitment to promote the growth of the company on a full-time basis. During the first three years, the growth was confined within the Central Coast area of California. Hardy Media rapidly gained the majority of the market share in this area, before pursuing additional clinical lab customers on the West Coast.

Rob and Jay at the first Hardy Media
facility in Santa Barbara in 1980.

As the company continued to grow, (at the rate of about 30% each year) a lack of space was soon realized. The Central Coast area was searched for the appropriate city to meet the company's needs. Santa Maria was chosen for its relatively low cost of living, motivated labor force, and the quality of life. Three acres of land just north of the Santa Maria airport was purchased and a 25,000 square foot facility was completed in October of 1991 to provide for the needs of this growing company. The new facility contains state-of-the-art air handling systems in clean rooms to ensure the production of a top quality product.

Anticipating the company's move to Santa Maria, it was decided to change the name from "Hardy Media" to "Hardy Diagnostics" in order to emphasize the additional laboratory supply items that the company provides other than culture media.

Rapid growth...

In 1998, two new remote distribution warehouses were opened, one in Salt Lake City, Utah and one in Phoenix, Arizona. In 2002, another facility was opened close to Tacoma, Washington. This completed the company's coverage of the western United States and provided faster service to customers in those areas. At the beginning of 2005 a fourth distribution warehouse was opened in Lima, Ohio in order to better serve the Northeastern and Midwestern customers; another step towards facilitating nationwide distribution.

Seizing an opportunity to export Dehydrated Culture Media globally, the company began to blend powdered media in 1999. Hardy now utilizes its own powdered media for 95% of its prepared products, and exports the balance to over twenty distributors around the world.

In June of 2005, the company completed a new building in Santa Maria on an adjacent lot that doubled the size of the previous facility to a total of 50,000 square feet.

Also in 2005, the company achieved certification as an ISO 13485 facility. This globally recognized quality standard has opened many doors for expanded sales into pharmaceutical and foreign markets, and appeals to customers who demand the highest level of quality and service.

Hardy Diagnostics Headquarters, Santa Maria, CA

The development of chromogenic culture media has been a focus of the R&D effort for the last two years. Chromogenic media assists the microbiologist in rapidly identifying microorganisms by their color of their colonies. In 2005, Hardy's R&D lab released a very successful, unique product known as "Carrot Broth™" that produces a quick orange color change in the presence of Group B Strep, which is of concern in pregnant women.

Hardy has also produced a new line of products, known as "HardyVal™", which is designed for the hospital pharmacists in order help them with their proficiency testing of their compounded sterile products. These products test the ability of hospital personnel to aseptically prepare sterile solutions.

In May of 2007, Hardy opened its sixth distribution center, in order to increase its "one day" service to Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. The new warehouse is located in Irving, Texas, which is close to Dallas.

Also in 2007 a new version of the HUGO software, which serves as a complete technical manual, was released to all customers. The new version features close-up color photos of the growth characteristics of each type of culture media.

The present...

Hardy Diagnostics now manufactures over 2,000 culture media products for use in clinical, industrial, research, and academic laboratories. The media, which is packaged in petri plates, bottles and tubes, provides the nutrients necessary for culturing and identifying bacteria and fungi.

The company is licensed by the FDA as an 'in vitro medical device manufacturer'. Our quality control department performs growth, pH, gel strength, and sterility tests on each batch of media produced in compliance with the FDA's "Good Manufacturing Procedures" and the CLSI (Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute) guidelines. In addition, since 2005, the company's quality management system is certified to ISO 13485 at the Santa Maria manufacturing and distribution facility.

Culture media sales account for 60% of the company's income. The other 40% is from the distribution of other laboratory supplies. Hardy Diagnostics is currently an authorized distributor for over 75 other laboratory supply manufacturers. These supply items include diagnostic kits, laboratory glassware, plastic disposables, latex gloves, stains, reagents, rapid test kits, etc. Over 12,000 lab products are offered to customers throughout the United States. Our supply items are utilized by all departments of the lab including microbiology, hematology, immunology, blood banking, and chemistry.

The always growing manufacturing operation.
Over two million units are made monthly.

Hardy Diagnostics currently maintains over 5,000 active accounts, which include hospitals, clinics, doctor's offices, universities, veterinary clinics, food processors, biomedical research, and quality control laboratories. Hardy Diagnostics currently employs about 170 people, which includes a technical staff of microbiologists, Medical Technologists, and biochemists.

There are twelve outside sales people that represent Hardy Diagnostics throughout the US. Many are experienced microbiologists and/or Medical Technologists with a real desire to offer technical assistance to the customers.

Hardy Diagnostics offers excellent technical services to our customers. A software program "HUGO" (Hardy User Group Observer), is provided to all media customers. HUGO is a complete microbiology technical manual which is comprised of over 4,000 pages of useful data. HUGO has a quick search function so that microbiologists can rapidly obtain the answers to their questions.

In 2003, Hardy became an Open Book Management (OBM) company, which encourages all employees to become involved in the financial management of the company's operations. A quarterly Profit Sharing program is an important part of this program, which creates business partners of all employees, resulting in a workforce that is highly motivated to satisfy their customers and helps to ensure the long-term success of the company.

Since the beginning, Hardy has always been an employee and community focused company. Besides OBM and profit sharing, the company has always strived to pay competitive wages and benefits. Hardy has a great 401k program, health and dental benefits, and an innovative workplace chaplain program. Hardy believes in giving back to the community and is actively involved in promoting and supporting a variety of local community based charities and organizations.

Jay Hardy, MT, SM
(ASCP) Owner and
Founder

The marketing strategy has always been to provide a superior product with unexcelled service. In addition, Hardy's customers enjoy the ability to receive other lab supply items along with their media orders from one source. Customers benefit by cost effective batching of orders, in addition to receiving fast (usually overnight) service.

Hardy Diagnostics' customers appreciate the fast turn-around time for just-in-time delivery. Another plus is the willingness of the company to manufacture custom products to the specifications of its customers.

We believe our uncompromising commitment to the highest standard of business ethics and our desire to exceed our customer's requirements are the key factors ensuring our continued success. Our mission will always remain…

"We are committed to producing and distributing the finest products for the detection of microorganisms, as we partner with our laboratory customers to prevent and diagnose disease."

Link to Hardy Diagnostics' Timeline