Drug, alcohol, and DNA testing center launches in Ephraim

EPHRAIM—Northstar Compliance Services, a company offering drug, alcohol and DNA testing, has opened in Ephraim.

The Sanpete Chamber of Commerce cut a ribbon on Monday, April 6 behind the Leavitt Insurance Building, 96 S. Main Street. The new company has an office on the first floor at the west end of the building. The phone number is (435) 261-2088.

The founders, Ellie Summerhays and Jake Christensen, said they were living in Midvale, Salt Lake County, but wanted to get to a less congested environment and chose Ephraim as their new home. They chose specimen testing as the focus of a business they could start.

“We don’t have this kind of business in Sanpete County,” Faylyn Warnick, president of the Chamber of Commerce, told about a dozen supporters at the ribbon cutting.

“We’re excited to be part of the community,” Christensen said.

Summerhays said the company expects to do pre-employment testing, random testing to meeting U.S. Department of Transportation requirements, post-accident testing, alcohol testing, and DNA testing for establishing paternity and other purposes.

Within 1-2 years, she said, Northstar hopes to branch into phlebotomy and offer blood tests, including pregnancy testing.

The hours are Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Residents can set up a test online at testnorthstar.com. While appointments have priority, the company also serves walk-ins. It can also provide mobile testing services.

Northstar is affiliated with two test processing labs. Their drug testing partner is National Drug Screening Inc., headquartered in Melbourne, Fla. The company is certified by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

For DNA testing Northstar will use the DNA Diagnosis Center (DDC), with headquarters in Fairfield, Ohio. DDC has more than 3,700 locations nationwide; however, Northstar is just the fifth location in Utah.