LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending Advance Testing Company upon the occa-
sion of celebrating its 25th Anniversary on May 2, 2009

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize the
achievements of those individuals and businesses which substantially
contribute to the economic vitality of their communities and the entire
Empire State; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend
Advance Testing Company upon the occasion of its 25th Anniversary to be
celebrated on Saturday, May 2, 2009, at The Grandview in Poughkeepsie,
New York; and
WHEREAS, Advance Testing Company, Inc. was founded by James P. Smith,
Jr., a highly respected materials testing technician, who had started
his career with Ward Pavements of Haverstraw, New York, and later moved
to Plaza Materials Co., a subsidiary of Yonkers Contracting; while at
Plaza, he developed his business skills and worked his way up to Chief
Quality Control Technician; and
WHEREAS, James P. Smith, Jr. left Plaza Materials in 1984, and moved
to Beacon, New York, where he created Advance Testing Company; at first,
he managed the entire company from his home until Advance Testing could
afford to rent a building; and
WHEREAS, In 1985, Advance Testing rented a modest building on Ruscitti
Road in Newburgh, New York, and began to establish itself as a serious
competitor for materials testing contracts in the Mid Hudson region; for
the next eight years, Advance Testing managed all of its work from this
location; during this time the amount of work steadily increased, and
Advance Testing saw its employees grow from a mere handful of three to
four individuals to as many as 40 during peak construction season; and
WHEREAS, From construction on the Walkill Plaza in Middletown, New
York, to the development of the Army National Guard's new hangers and
aprons at Stewart Airport, Advance Testing was in the field and in the
lab working around the clock to support the needs of the industry; and
WHEREAS, With the increase in workload, James P. Smith, Jr. saw that
Advance Testing needed a continuing commitment to its personnel and
instituted an aggressive training schedule for all employees, while
continuing to be involved in training presentations himself through the
FAA's Eastern Region Seminars; and
WHEREAS, As a result the core staff of Advance Testing became more
multi-disciplined and experienced in a variety of materials testing
fields, which enabled Advance Testing to expand its base of services; as
the staff became more widely known in the construction industry the
reputation of the firm grew, enabling Advance Testing to seek even more
work in more areas; and
WHEREAS, By 1994, Advance Testing had outgrown its quarters and a new
location was discovered in rural Campbell Hall, New York; from the new
location the company was able to fully realize its potential and fulfill
the needs of its growing base of clients; a new lab was installed in the
basement of the building and new offices and conference rooms quickly
filled the bulk of the house; and
WHEREAS, It was during this time that the FHWA sponsored the Superpave
program, a new and improved system of designing HMA pavements; subse-
quently, a new system for inspection of HMA pavements during production
and placement was taking the industry by storm; James P. Smith, Jr. saw
an immediate benefit in being an early adopter of the many technological
advances and ideas spawned by these programs; and

WHEREAS, Therefore, Advance Testing became the first private consult-
ing firm in the Northeast to purchase the new gyratory compactor and the
new NCAT ignition furnace; Advance Testing was also instrumental in
providing technicians to staff New York State's first experimental QC/QA
pilot program, and as a result became an early expert in QC/QA programs;
and
WHEREAS, With Advance Testing's continued commitment to training, in
1995, James P. Smith, Jr. formed an offshoot company known as Atech
Center, Inc.; using the latest in computer technology Atech put together
a training package for HMA technicians including a custom manual and
vivid computer presentations with images, illustrations and animations;
this package was then adopted by the NETTCP and Atech was awarded a
contract to be the principal training firm for the six New England
States; Atech has continued to serve the NETTCP in the fields of
concrete and soils and aggregates as well, and their relationship
continues to grow; and
WHEREAS, In 1997, Advance Testing opened its first New England office
in West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, in order to better serve a contract
with MassHighway to perform PCI (Prestressed Concrete Inspection) test-
ing as part of the Central Artery Tunnel project ("Big Dig"); despite
the opening of a new office in New England, back in New York, Advance
Testing had matured into its new surroundings to the point where expan-
sion was again a necessity; and
WHEREAS, In 1994, Advance Testing began to weigh different expansion
options, ultimately settling on the reconstruction of what had formerly
been a resort, whose location was in close proximity to the Campbell
Hall office; by the start of the new millennium, Advance Testing was off
and running from its new home; and
WHEREAS, Advance Testing continues to look toward the future by not
only having the best lab in the Northeast but by continuing its commit-
ment to technology in materials testing; it purchases the latest equip-
ment available in the testing field (re: triaxial permeability cells,
direct shear apparatus, lightweight profiler) and ensures that its staff
remains up-to-date with the latest industry trends and certifications;
and
WHEREAS, The success of Advance Testing is in direct correlation to
the efforts of its employees, whose involvement is, and always has been,
characterized by an impressive commitment, an unbridled enthusiasm, and
an uncompromising standard of excellence in all endeavors on behalf of
the company and the population it serves; and
WHEREAS, It is with great pleasure that this Legislative Body acknowl-
edges this exceptional business and its contributions to the local and
State economies, fully confident that it will continue to enjoy the
sparkling successes it has experienced thus far; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend Advance Testing Company upon the occasion of celebrating its
25th Anniversary; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Advance Testing Company.