Sparks Lab Supplies has officially rebranded under the name and identity of its parent company, Scientific Laboratory Supplies (SLS), in a strategic move designed to unify services, boost resilience, and enhance customer support across the Republic of Ireland.
The rebrand, effective from July 2025, follows SLS’s acquisition of Sparks in December 2022 and represents a significant step in the company’s plan to streamline operations across borders while mitigating the ongoing effects of Brexit.
A Unified Brand, Stronger Service
As the UK and Ireland’s leading independent supplier of laboratory products, SLS partners with many of the world’s most recognisable science brands to deliver laboratory equipment, consumables, and chemicals. By bringing Sparks under the SLS name, Irish customers will now benefit from the wider expertise, resources, and international infrastructure of the group — without losing the strong local presence that Sparks built over many years.
“This is more than a name change – it’s a strategic move to unlock new value for our customers across Ireland,” said Ian Roulstone, Managing Director of SLS. “By consolidating under the SLS brand, we’re streamlining operations, enhancing our service offering and future-proofing our business. It’s a significant step that brings real benefits for our customers, greater opportunities for our team, and reinforces our commitment to supporting the scientific communities we proudly serve.”
Continuity and Growth
The transition has been phased in over recent months with no disruption to services or customer contracts. All Sparks staff have been retained, and SLS has launched a recruitment drive to expand local service capacity further. Irish-based teams will continue to operate from Dublin, now with access to SLS’s wider group technologies, innovation programmes, and global supplier partnerships.
Warren Jardine, Regional Sales Manager – Ireland, emphasised the importance of the rebrand in overcoming post-Brexit trade barriers:
“SLS created a separate legal trading entity to serve the Republic of Ireland in response to VAT and import duty challenges. Consolidating our operations into a single, unified company provides a more seamless experience for our customers — whether through an expanded product portfolio, faster delivery, or access to cutting-edge technologies from across the group.”
What Customers Can Expect
From July, invoices, delivery notes, and customer communications will carry the Scientific Laboratory Supplies (SLS) branding. Contact details remain unchanged, with redirects in place to new websites and email addresses.
SLS offers an extensive portfolio including its own brands — SLS Select, SLS Lab Basics, SLS Lab Pro, and SLS Flowgen — alongside partnerships with global leaders such as Merck, Eppendorf, Corning, Azenta, Honeywell, and Thermo Scientific.
About Scientific Laboratory Supplies (SLS)
Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Nottingham, SLS has grown into the UK’s largest independent supplier of laboratory equipment, consumables, and chemicals. The company operates extensive warehousing, logistics, and technical storage services across the UK and internationally, supporting customers with a catalogue of over 600,000 products.
