Meet The Team
Jeffrey Abels-President
Jeffrey Abels is a food scientist with more than fifty years of experience testing imported foods for safety and quality. He is internationally recognized as an expert in dried fruits and tree nuts, peanuts, spices, edible seed, pulses, and fruit concentrates. Having solved very many problems with imported foods for so many years, it is likely that Jeff and the FTS team have the solution for you. Jeff is also a stored-product entomologist with unique expertise in the investigation of infestations, insect identification and filth analysis.
And around the office and at home, he's known as the best boss and father.
Katie Abels- Head of Operations
Head of Operations, Corporate Secretary, Communications, Controls, Commodity Expert. Katie Abels leads operations at FTS Laboratories, serving as Corporate Secretary and overseeing communications and controls across the organization. She is also a trusted commodity expert, bringing that knowledge to bear across the lab's day-to-day operations. Following in her father's footsteps, Katie is carrying the family's legacy forward in the food science world.
Bud Dotson-Vice President
Bud Dotson serves as Vice President at FTS Laboratories, where he is the team's go-to expert on FDA compliance and nationwide sampling. His deep knowledge of import detentions and sampling protocols makes him a trusted resource for clients navigating the complexities of FDA import requirements.
And around the lab, he's known as the FDA and sampling guru.
R.D. Cathey III is Laboratory Director at FTS Laboratories, where he has led the expansion of the lab's scope. He is trained by the FDA and McCrone in insect and hair/fiber identification and microscopy, with longstanding expertise in food import compliance, macroanalytical filth testing, sensory analysis, and tree nut and seafood inspection. RD serves on the ACIL Board of Directors and chairs the ACIL Food Sciences Section. He also sits on ASTA's Science and Regulatory Affairs Committee, ASTA's Analytical Methods Subcommittee, and the PTNPA Technical Committee.
And by all accounts, a great laboratory director and friend.