Company Announcements

Hach announced in May a three-year partnership establishing Hach as a primary supplier of water analysis solutions, specifically process analyzers, samplers and panel solutions, for Veolia’s water operations. As part of this agreement, Veolia and Hach entered into a technical partnership, which will work to adapt and validate Hach’s software tools and solutions for use by Veolia. This premium partnership includes Hach’s Claros Instrument, Data and Process Management offerings.

In June, BD named John A. DeFord as executive vice president and CTO. Since the completion of BD’s acquisition of medical technology firm C. R. Bard, he has served as senior vice president of R&D for the Interventional Segment at BD.

Thermo Fisher Scientific officially opened in June its US Precision Medicine Science Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Center offers access to advanced omics technologies and expertise to help collaborators develop analytical workflows that generate precise molecular profiles of patients. This includes developing standard protocols that enable them to compress R&D timelines and quickly progress from biomarker discovery to assay development. In 2017, Thermo Fisher opened its Precision Medicine Science Center in Guangzhou, China (see IBO 10/15/17).

Expanding in house to optimize logistic operations, Agilent Technologies announced in June that its Tennessee-based Agilent Regional Logistics Center for the Americas will function as the company’s primary American distribution center. Agilent has added approximately 110 employees to its local team.

In June, Agilent Technologies opened a 20,000 ft² (1,858 m²) logistics hub in Shanghai, China, designed to enable faster delivery of parts, supplies, and consumables to laboratories in the country. It is the first of five forward stocking locations being established to improve delivery to customers throughout the country.

In June, Pace Analytical and surplus asset management company EquipNet announced a strategic partnership. The partnership ties in lab relocation services with an option for clients to see return on invests for surplus laboratory instruments, as well as a data security option for instruments supported by technology hardware, and an eco­ friendly sustainable process for residual lab equipment disposition.

Bruker named Gerald N. Herman as CFO as June. He joined Bruker in 2016 as vice president and corporate controller, and was appointed as Interim CFO in March.

SiliCycle, which develops silica-based and specialty products for chromatography, analytical and organic chemistry, announced in June a $15 million, 21,000 ft² (1,951 m²) expansion of its existing plant, creating 50 positions. The company plans to double revenues by 2020.

In fiscal 2017, sales for Halma’s Environmental & Analysis sector grew 18.3% to £259.4 million ($345.9 million), including 3% constant currency growth and 3% growth from acquisitions, to represent 24% of company revenues (see IBO 6/15/18). Adjusted operating profit for the sector grew 32.0% to £55.0 million ($73.3 million). The sector’s Photonics, Water and Environmental Monitoring business segments all showed strong sales growth. On an organic basis, by region, US sales grew 16% to make up 43% of sector revenue, Asia Pacific sales rose 24% to make up 22%, UK sales grew 17% to represent 22% and European sales rose 5% to make up 12%. Sales to Other countries fell 10% to make up 6%.

In June, HORIBA Scientific moved to a new 32,000 ft² (2,973 m²), 200-person office, engineering, manufacturing, laboratory and cleanroom space, approximately doubling the previous facility’s size, in Piscataway, New Jersey. The facility includes over 6,400 ft² (595m2) of new labs grouped into four application areas: earth science, life science, materials science and industrial science. The OEM facility is now located in the same building.

The Budapest Business Journal reported in June that FOSS plans to open a HUF 2 million ($7 million) R&D center in Pécs, by the end of 2019. The center will create 88 positions and house 120 employees by the end of 2020. The center assisted by a HUF 773 million ($3 million) government grant.