Company Announcements

The Pittsburgh Business Times reported in November 2015 that lab equipment company Burrell Scientific acquired Reagents, a supplier of customized chemicals for the mid-Atlantic region of the US.

Air Liquide agreed to acquire Airgas for $13.4 billion, or $143 per share, a 51% premium to Airgas’ one month average share price prior to the announcement. Both companies provide laboratory gases and gas generators.

Plastic components firm BioPlast Manufacturing purchased Kord-Valmark, a manufacturer of petri dishes, in November 2015.

In January, China-based Haier Biomedical acquired Labtech International UK’s cold chain business.

VWR appointed Dr. Nils Clausnitzer as senior vice president and president of its EMEA-APAC Lab Business. He previously served as president, head of Commercial Operations EMEA, at QIAGEN.

In January, BATM Advanced Communications, a provider of real-time technologies for networking solutions and medical lab systems, agreed to acquire Green Lab Hungary Engineering, a lab product distributor and developer, for $3.8 million. In 2015, Green Lab revenues totaled $3.3 million and operating profit was $0.6 million. Green Lab will complement BATM’s lab product distribution in Romania and is synergistic with BATM’s Sterilization Unit in Hungary.

For the year ending November 30, 2015, sales for Porvair’s Seal Analytical business grew 4% in constant currency.

Product Introductions

NuAire released in November 2015 the LabGard AIR, a Class II, Type A2 cabinet for research facilities.

Porvair Sciences introduced the entry-level MiniVap Gemini for simultaneously removing solvent from two microplates.

Adam Equipment launched in December 2015 the Eclipse range of lab balances, featuring an advance capacitive touch keypad.

In January, Grant Instruments introduced the LT ecocool range of energy-efficient refrigerated/heating circulating baths, consisting of three models.

RephiLe launched the benchtop Direct Pure RO 50 and UP 50 systems, featuring a pure-water flow rate of 50 L/h.

Wheaton introduced the AntiBIND microplate product line, which reduces protein binding and adsorption. The product line currently consists of the 0.5 mL 96 Deepwell Microplate and the 230 µL 384-well microplate.

BioCision launched new models of its ThawSTAR automated cell thawing technology platform to serve the cell therapy market. One model is designed for 1.5 mL cryogenic vials. The other model is designed for 6.0 mL AT-Closed Vials from Aseptic Technologies.