Thermocyclers, sequencers, DNA extraction, extraction kits. These are words you’re likely to hear at Nelson’s Wildlife Genetics International, an internationally-renowned genetics testing lab with nine employees.

President (and Molecular Artificer) Dr. David Paetkau, whose thesis won a Governor General gold medal, relocated from Edmonton to Nelson several years ago. He believes he gets more production from his Nelson-based team, his costs are lower and he experiences low employee turnover. High speed internet also allows the business to thrive.

WGI (Inc.) analyzes DNA for wildlife managers, researchers and breeders. They extract DNA from a wide variety of sample types and analyze genetic markers to assess operation. WGI’s growing operation consists of two facilities located in adjacent buildings.

“The move to this vibrant mountain community has proven more successful than we ever expected, reducing overhead and living costs while rewarding our employees with a combination of ‘big city’ career and unbeatable lifestyle. Our experience is that this unique situation pays dividends in the form of increased productivity and improved customer service, and ultimately makes life that much tougher for those who would compete with us.”

– Quote from the WGI web-site