As it evolves, UVP plans to continue its mission to be the market leader for bioimaging systems, designing and developing systems and related software as applications in fluorescence, chemiluminescence and luminescence imaging evolve. The Upland, California–based company was founded as Ultra-Violet Products in 1932 by Thomas Warren to manufacture handheld lamps. Since then, the company has expanded its offerings to a wide array of bioimaging systems, ranging from basic gel documentation to advanced imaging and analysis applications; colony counters; multispectral light engines; ultraviolet lamps; crosslinkers; hybridizers; transilluminators; PCR workstations; UV meters; and custom light sources. Since first introducing a gel documentation system in 1988, UVP has placed more than 20,000 imaging systems at research facilities around the world. The company was acquired by private equity firm Carlisle Enterprises in 2007 (see IBO 1/31/07), forming UVP, LLC.

UVP credits its success to being a vertically integrated manufacturer with an in-house team. “Our in-house manufacturing and product development capabilities allow us to react quickly to the needs of the market with innovative and quality products,” said Alexander Waluszko, vice president of Marketing and Sales.

Initially, Carlisle Enterprises foresaw growing UVP through a series of add-on acquisitions, said Leighton Smith, president and CEO. Meetings with management led to the realization that the management team and infrastructure already existed at UVP to grow the business organically, given adequate funding for strategic initiatives. A series of growth initiatives were developed that focused specifically on broadening the bioimaging product line. The most recent product in the line, the iBox Explorer, was released this month. With the addition of this fluorescence imaging microscope, the company addresses core applications that include the visualization of cells, tissues, vessels and organs of live mice with fluorescence tags to understand tumor development in cancer.

Sean Gallagher, vice president of Marketing and Sales, said that the emphasis on new fluorescent tags, particularly in the NIR range, is increasing and driving the new demand for application-specific imaging systems. “The emphasis in life science on multiplexing has led to a new generation of fluorescent stains and tags that have finely separated emission spectra up to the NIR.” These new dyes, he said, are now being used in general protein and nucleic acid stains, and as specific tags for a variety of applications, such as protein blotting and in vivo imaging.

UVP began to experience the effects of the economic downturn in late 2008. “We were quick to make necessary operating adjustments and managed to have a successful 2009 from an operating profit standpoint,” Mr. Smith said. Revenue growth through the second quarter is 16%. About half of the company’s revenues are from exports. Though the market shows signs of recovery, Mr. Smith said, UVP remains concerned about the macroeconomic environment, particularly in the US. There are 95 employees at UVP’s Upland headquarters and ten at the Cambridge, UK, subsidiary.