Warrington was founded in Austin, Texas in 1981 as a private corporation. For the first few years of operation, the company concentrated its efforts on servicing radiation monitors and product research and development. The company gained entry into the lead-based paint analyzer market by purchasing the manufacturing and service rights to the Texas Nuclear model PB-3 analyzer in 1983 along with a line of radiation survey instruments formerly marketed by Nuclear Chicago and Texas Nuclear. In 1983, during a visit with the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, company management became aware of the widespread incidences of lead poisoning in children and the need for a more accurate microcomputer-based device for measuring the lead content in painted surfaces. In 1985 after a two year R&D project, the company introduced the microLEAD I, rev. 1. Several major improvements to the microLEAD I have evolved into the current production model, the microLEAD I, revision 4.
