Owner

Hope Mullis Carver

Hope graduated from Valdosta State University in 2000 with a B.S. in Environmental Geography. In 2002 she became Technical Manager for what was then known as Tifton Physical Soil Testing Laboratory, Inc. Within a few years, she was trained to also serve as its Quality Manager. Her responsibilities included maintaining compliance with A2LA requirements for accreditation, performing analyses on all test samples, test calculations, and calibration of equipment. After 20 years of service and training, and with a love of the lab and its customers, Hope took over as President of the company in 2021. As President, she upholds the high standards she has maintained over her career as well as adding services and options to expand the lab's ability to meet customers’ needs.

Founder

Powell Gaines

Powell graduated from UGA in 1961 with a B.S. in Chemistry. He served three years in the U.S. Army before moving to Tifton in 1965. He was hired as a research chemist and director for the Soil and Plant Analysis Laboratory at the UGA Coastal Plains Experiment Station. In 1976 he began working after hours running the testing lab for Ray Jenson’s Southern Turf Nurseries. While there, he noticed an increasing need for the testing of construction materials for golf courses and other athletic fields. This, along with his love of golf, led him to open his own small physical soil testing lab in his backyard in 1982. The lab grew through the years, becoming incorporated in 1989 and accredited in 1998 as industry standards changed and evolved. After retiring from the Experiment Station in 1991, the lab continued to expand and add new services. In 2021 he entrusted Tifton Physical Soil Testing Laboratory, Inc. to Hope Mullis Carver so he could retire for the second time to focus on traveling and spending more time with his family. 

lab mascot

Bailey Carver

Bailey was adopted from Cross Critters Resort & Rescue in Nashville, GA on September 13, 2021, and became the official lab mascot. She is a very good girl that loves zoomies, belly rubs, naps, and snacks.