Lee Phillips
With nearly four decades in the industry, Lee has analyzed and tested over a quarter-million items ranging from basic textiles to complex automotive parts. As the Director of an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory, he bridges the gap between scientific testing and real-world application.
Areas of Expertise:
- Soft & Hard Surfaces: Carpet, turf, SPC, LVT hardwood, laminate, cork, and rubber.
- Specialized Materials: Adhesives, tapes, foams, automotive interiors, and coatings.
- Maintenance Science: Cleaning chemicals, vacuums, and restorative treatments.
- Forensics: On-site inspections, quality control, and expert testimony.
Beyond the laboratory, Lee is driven by the spirit of invention. His son Tripp and he successfully featured their product, Le-Glue, on the season 10 premiere of Shark Tank. Whether it’s solving a complex flooring failure or developing a new adhesive, Lee’s focus is always on how materials work—and how to make them better.
Wednesday May 13
Floor Care Products Division Meeting
Beyond What You Can See: Quantifying Clean with XRF Technology
The Floor Care Products Division meeting will open with a special interactive presentation from Lee Phillips of Professional Testing Laboratory, the lab of record behind the carpet industry’s leading Seal of Approval program administered by the Carpet and Rug Institute. Lee will introduce attendees to the latest advancements in proprietary XRF technology, which enables a precise, quantitative measurement of cleaning effectiveness – moving beyond traditional visual assessments to data-driven performance insights.
Building on its success in the carpet and rug sector, Professional Testing Laboratory is expanding this technology into a new certification program for hard surfaces, including LVT, LVP, laminates, and more. Through real-world examples and audience discussion, Lee will explore common challenges observed in the field across substrates, equipment, and cleaning solutions and how this next-generation testing approach can support innovation from early-stage R&D to substantiating product performance claims in the marketplace.
Following this special presentation, the meeting will transition to regular Floor Care Products Division business, bringing together formulators, suppliers, distributors, and consultants committed to advancing the technical performance and safety of floor care products. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage in discussions that shape the Division's priorities and future direction, as well as receive an update on ongoing activity by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) by Doug Raymond of Raymond Regulatory Resources (3R).
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Speaker:
Lee Phillips, Laboratory Director, Professional Testing Labs