'''Charles River''' Laboratories (CR) is an international contract research organization (CRO) and laboratory animal breeding company. Firms hire CROs to conduct toxicity [[animal testing]] for agrochemicals, petrochemicals, household products, [[pharmaceutical]]s and toxins. Charles River was founded in 1947 and has its headquarters in Wilmington, Massachusetts. It has 8,700 employees in 70 facilities in 70 countries. <ref>[http://www.criver.com/en-US/AboutUs/CRGlance/Pages/home.aspx Charles River at a Glance], Charles River, June 2009</ref> Charles River is the world's largest supplier of laboratory animals. It has been described as the "General Motors of the laboratory animal industry." <ref> C. Roland Christensen, ''Business Policy: Text and Cases, January 1982 p. 54'', ISBN 9780256014518</ref>
In 2006, 26,638 primates were imported into the US; a 44% increase over 2004. The three companies responsible for over 75% of all of these imports were [[Covance Laboratories]], [[SNBL]] and Charles River at 5,359 monkeys that year. Cynomolgus macaques made up 92% followed by rhesus macaques, marmosets, squirrel monkeys and other macaques. Half of all primates were imported primates were from China. <ref>[http://www.hsus.org/animals_in_research/general_information_on_animal_research/an_introduction_to_primate_issues.html An Introduction to Primate Issues], [[Humane Society of the United States]], accessed November 2009</ref>
==Animal testing==