Labcorp vs Quest Diagnostics: Founders, CEOs and History
Labcorp was founded in 1995 by National Health Laboratories, Roche Biomedical Laboratories and is led by Adam H. Schechter. Quest Diagnostics was founded in 1967 by Dr. Paul A. Brown and is led by James Davis.
Company facts
Labcorp
- Founded
- 1995
- Headquarters
- Burlington, North Carolina
- Current CEO
- Adam H. Schechter
- Employees
- 71,000
Quest Diagnostics
- Founded
- 1967
- Headquarters
- Secaucus, New Jersey, United States
- Current CEO
- James Davis
- Employees
- 57,000
Founders
Labcorp
National Health Laboratories
National Health Laboratories started as DCL BioMedical, a clinical laboratory business founded in 1968. Revlon acquired it in 1971 and renamed it in 1974; by 1977 it ran testing labs in 13 cities.
Roche Biomedical Laboratories
Roche Biomedical Laboratories was Hoffmann-La Roche's US clinical testing subsidiary, based in Burlington, North Carolina.
Quest Diagnostics
Dr. Paul A. Brown
Dr. Paul A. Brown founded Metropolitan Pathology Laboratory in 1967, which was renamed MetPath in 1969. He built it around centralized, automated, high-volume testing for physicians' offices instead of small local labs.
CEOs and their tenures
Labcorp
- David P. King2007–2019
Former Chairman and CEO
Expanded Labcorp from a US clinical lab into a combined diagnostics and drug development company.
Source - Adam H. Schechter2019–present
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Under Schechter revenue reached $13.95 billion in 2025 with adjusted EPS of $16.44, and 2026 guidance was raised to $18.10-$18.55 adjusted EPS.
Source
Quest Diagnostics
- Kenneth W. Freeman1996–2004
Chairman and CEO
Freeman led Quest through the 1996 spin-off from Corning and the transformative 1999 SmithKline Beecham Clinical Laboratories acquisition. He established the acquisition-driven growth strategy and public company infrastructure.
Source - Surya Mohapatra2004–2012
Chairman, President, and CEO
Mohapatra expanded Quest's international presence and technology capabilities. He led the company through the AmeriPath acquisition and the 2008-2009 financial crisis, though growth slowed during his tenure.
Source - Steve Rusckowski2012–2022
Chairman, President, and CEO
Rusckowski transformed Quest into a leader in diagnostic information services with strong financial performance. He focused on health system partnerships, operational excellence, advanced diagnostics, and consumer testing.
Source - Jim Davis2022–present
Chairman, CEO, and President
Davis became CEO in November 2022 and Chairman in April 2023. He has led the LifeLabs acquisition, the Fresenius Spectra asset deal, the Corewell Health joint venture and further hospital outreach deals.
Source
Timeline: Labcorp and Quest Diagnostics side by side
1967Quest Diagnostics
Metropolitan Pathology Laboratory Founded by Dr. Paul A. Brown
Dr. Paul A. Brown founded Metropolitan Pathology Laboratory, Inc. in Teaneck, New Jersey, to provide clinical laboratory services to local physicians and hospitals. The company was renamed MetPath, Inc. in 1969.
1971Labcorp
Revlon acquires the NHL predecessor
Revlon buys DCL BioMedical, a clinical lab business founded in 1968; it is renamed National Health Laboratories in 1974.
1982Quest Diagnostics
Corning Glass Works Acquires MetPath
Corning Glass Works acquired MetPath and renamed it Corning Clinical Laboratories.
1988Labcorp
National Health Laboratories goes public
NHL lists on NASDAQ, moving to the New York Stock Exchange in 1991.
1995Labcorp
Merger creates Laboratory Corporation of America
Roche contributes Roche Biomedical Laboratories and $186.7 million in cash for 49.9% of NHL Holdings; the combined company is renamed and moves to Burlington, North Carolina.
1996Quest Diagnostics
Spin-off from Corning as Independent Public Company
On December 31, 1996, Quest Diagnostics became an independent company through a spin-off from Corning and began trading on the NYSE under ticker DGX. Kenneth W. Freeman was appointed CEO.
1999Quest Diagnostics
Acquisition of SmithKline Beecham Clinical Laboratories
Quest acquired SmithKline Beecham Clinical Laboratories for approximately $1.3 billion in cash and stock.
2003Quest Diagnostics
Acquisition of Unilab Corporation for $800 Million
Quest acquired Unilab Corporation for $800 million, significantly expanding its West Coast presence and adding substantial volume in California and surrounding states.
2005Quest Diagnostics
Acquisition of LabOne, Inc. for $934 Million
Quest acquired LabOne, Inc. for $934 million, adding employer drug testing and paramedical testing capabilities that expanded the company's service offerings beyond traditional clinical laboratory testing.
2007Quest Diagnostics
Acquisition of AmeriPath for Approximately $1.23 Billion
Quest acquired AmeriPath and its subsidiary Specialty Laboratories for approximately $1.23 billion, adding anatomic pathology and cancer diagnostic testing capabilities that complemented Quest's clinical chemistry strengths.
2011Quest Diagnostics
Acquisitions of Athena Diagnostics and Celera Corporation
Quest acquired Athena Diagnostics (neurodegenerative disease testing) and Celera Corporation (genomics and sequencing), adding advanced diagnostics capabilities in neurology and genetic testing that would become foundational for future growth initiatives.
2014Quest Diagnostics
Acquisition of Solstas Lab Partners Group for $570 Million
Quest acquired Solstas Lab Partners Group for $570 million, expanding its geographic footprint in the Southeastern United States and adding hospital outreach laboratory relationships.
2015Labcorp
$6.1 billion Covance acquisition
Labcorp buys contract research organization Covance, adding central laboratory and drug development services.
2018Quest Diagnostics
Launch of QuestDirect Consumer-Initiated Testing
Quest launched QuestDirect, a consumer-initiated testing service that allows patients to order health and wellness lab testing without a physician order in states where permitted. This marked Quest's entry into the direct-to-consumer diagnostic market.
2020Labcorp
COVID-19 testing and at-home collection
Labcorp receives FDA emergency use authorization for a SARS-CoV-2 test in March and launches the first at-home COVID-19 collection kit in April.
2020Quest Diagnostics
COVID-19 Testing Launch and Pandemic Response
Quest launched COVID-19 testing in March 2020 and by July 2020 had performed more than 9.2 million molecular tests and 2.8 million serology tests. The pandemic created both operational challenges and substantial revenue opportunities for the company.
2020Quest Diagnostics
Acquisition of Blueprint Genetics for $108 Million
Quest acquired Blueprint Genetics (Helsinki, Finland) for $108 million, adding genetic testing capabilities for rare diseases and expanding Quest's international genomics expertise.
2022Quest Diagnostics
Jim Davis Becomes CEO, Succeeding Steve Rusckowski
Jim Davis succeeded Steve Rusckowski as CEO on November 1, 2022, after serving as Executive Vice President of General Diagnostics. Davis brought experience from GE Healthcare, InSightec, and McKinsey & Company. He became Chairman on April 1, 2023.
2023Labcorp
Fortrea spin-off
Labcorp completes the June 2023 spin-off of its clinical development business as Fortrea Holdings (NASDAQ: FTRE).
2023Quest Diagnostics
Acquisition of Haystack Oncology and NewYork-Presbyterian Outreach
Quest acquired Haystack Oncology, a minimal residual disease testing company, and the outreach laboratory operations of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital for $275 million, expanding advanced oncology diagnostics and health system partnerships.
2024Quest Diagnostics
Acquisition of LifeLabs from OMERS for CAD $1.35 Billion
Quest completed the acquisition of LifeLabs from OMERS for approximately CAD $1.35 billion (USD ~$1 billion), adding Canada's leading laboratory diagnostic provider with 6,500+ employees, 8+ million online portal users, and approximately CAD $970 million in an…
2025Labcorp
$13.95 billion revenue and 750 million tests
Labcorp grows revenue 7.2% to $13.95 billion, launches more than 130 new tests, and signs or closes 13 health-system and regional lab deals.
2025Quest Diagnostics
Acquisition of Fresenius Medical Care Spectra Laboratories Assets
Quest completed the acquisition of select clinical testing assets from Fresenius Medical Care's Spectra Laboratories and began providing comprehensive dialysis-related laboratory services for Fresenius-operated centers serving approximately 200,000 patients an…
2025Quest Diagnostics
Record Financial Performance and Raised 2026 Guidance
Quest reported record 2025 results with $11.035 billion in revenue (up 11.8%), operating income of $1.556 billion (up 15.6%), and cash from operations of $1.886 billion (up 41.4%).
2026Labcorp
Guidance raised and buyback expanded
After Q2 revenue of $3.73 billion, Labcorp raises 2026 guidance, adds $1.0 billion to its repurchase authorization, and launches Marker by Labcorp and ColoSense nationwide.
2026Quest Diagnostics
Q1 2026 Results Raise Guidance
Quest Diagnostics reports Q1 2026 revenues of $2.895B, 9.0% organic revenue growth, and raises FY2026 net revenue guidance to $11.78B-$11.90B.
2026Quest Diagnostics
Q2 2026 Results and Second Guidance Raise
Quest reported Q2 2026 revenue of $3.043B (up 10.2%, 10.0% organic) and adjusted diluted EPS of $3.12 (up 19.1%). It raised FY2026 revenue guidance to $11.95B-$12.05B. New York State approved Haystack MRD in the same period.
Acquisitions
Labcorp
- Invitae (select assets)2024Undisclosed
- BioReference Health (diagnostic business)2024Undisclosed
- Personal Genome Diagnostics (PGDx)2022$450M
- Sequenom Inc.2016$371M
- Covance Inc.2015$6.1B
Quest Diagnostics
- Spectra Laboratories (select assets from Fresenius Medical Care)2025Undisclosed
- LifeLabs2024$1B
- Haystack Oncology2023Undisclosed
- Blueprint Genetics2020$108M
- Solstas Lab Partners Group2014$570M
- AmeriPath and Specialty Laboratories2007$1.2B
Questions about Labcorp vs Quest Diagnostics
Who is the CEO of Labcorp Holdings Inc. and Quest Diagnostics Incorporated?
Labcorp Holdings Inc. is led by Adam H. Schechter and Quest Diagnostics Incorporated is led by James Davis. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Labcorp Holdings Inc. founded vs Quest Diagnostics Incorporated?
Quest Diagnostics Incorporated was founded in 1967 — 28 years before Labcorp Holdings Inc., which was founded in 1995. Quest Diagnostics Incorporated's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Labcorp Holdings Inc..
How many employees does Labcorp Holdings Inc. have compared to Quest Diagnostics Incorporated?
Labcorp Holdings Inc. employs approximately 71,000 people, while Quest Diagnostics Incorporated employs approximately 57,000. Labcorp Holdings Inc. has the larger workforce at 71,000 employees, compared to Quest Diagnostics Incorporated's 57,000. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Labcorp Holdings Inc. and Quest Diagnostics Incorporated headquartered?
Both Labcorp Holdings Inc. and Quest Diagnostics Incorporated are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Labcorp Holdings Inc. and Quest Diagnostics Incorporated?
Labcorp Holdings Inc. was founded by National Health Laboratories, Roche Biomedical Laboratories. Quest Diagnostics Incorporated was founded by Dr. Paul A. Brown.
Which company has a longer operating history — Labcorp Holdings Inc. or Quest Diagnostics Incorporated?
Quest Diagnostics Incorporated has been operating for approximately 59 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Labcorp Holdings Inc. has been in operation for around 31 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Labcorp vs Quest Diagnostics overview