Illegal Biolab found in Reedley also once operated in Tulare

TULARE, Calif. (KFSN) -- Between 2015 and 2019 near East Tulare Avenue and South Mooney Blvd, Universal Meditech and Prestige Biotech operated out of a building in Tulare.

"Universal Meditech purpose of operation in the city of Tulare appeared to have to do with the dairy industry and creating medical devices for the dairy industry it involved light assembly and packaging," said assistant City Manager in the City of Tulare, Josh McDonnell.

McDonnell says outside of the medical work, the company did some minor construction to the building while in the city.

"For example, they created an ADA restroom, they installed some racking, and did some very minor work inside of the structure while they were here, all of that work, as far as we know was permitted work," said McDonnell.

After opening in Tulare, the company moved to East North and South Orange avenues in Southwest Fresno and stayed there until 2022.

"It is amazing to me that this company has been able to do what its been doing in so many different places but I understand how that can be possible because some of the cities they were in were so big, that its harder for big cities to catch things like that," said Reedley city manager, Nicole Zieba.

Zieba says it wasn't until their months long investigation that started in December 2022, when the company operated at "I" and 10th street in Reedley, that the business got shut down by authorities.

"So I'm proud of this little city for acting, for doing the right thing, for not just kicking the can down the road," said Zieba.

McDonnell says when city staff heard about the biochemicals, medical waste and mice that had to be euthanized at the Reedley location, they immediately checked to see their city records with the company.

"It's perplexing if anything, the city of Tulare's interactions with them was a little over three years, nothing occurred as far as we know in that little over three years, of any importance or notoriousness," said McDonnell.

McDonnell adds in their time in the south valley, it was like any other regular business.

"The city of Tulare didn't shut them down, they were here and then they were gone," said McDonnell.

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