Firms claim Remp portfolio will complement Nexus’ products and speed growth in Europe and Asia.
Automated sample-management systems firm Nexus Biosystems is to acquire Tecan’s Switzerland-based sample-management business Remp and related assets. The companies say that they will also collaborate on additional product groups.
“The combined Nexus-Remp resources will strengthen our capabilities and ensure continuity of first-class service and support,” comments John Lillig, Nexus CEO. “As a key part of this opportunity we also look forward to further our collaborations with our colleagues at Tecan.”
Nexus suggests Remp will complement and bolster its existing product range and technological expertise and help speed its growth in certain geographical markets. The Tecan business has particular strengths in small and large size automated sample-management systems and sample containers and consumables, while the Nexus portfolio includes high-speed, mid-sized sample-management systems and high-performance microtiter plates. The Remp customer base is strongest in Europe and Asia although growing in the U.S., while Nexus is strongest in the U.S. and is working to grow its presence in Europe and Asia.
Remp specializes in the provision of automated storage and retrieval systems for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. However, the firm only achieved CHF 0.1 million (about $0.09 million) in operating profits sales of CHF 35.7 million ($33.8 million) during 2009, which were actually up 19.5% compared with 2008 sales. In February Tecan confirmed it was still considering its options for the business.
Nexus’ existing product range includes the Universal Compound Store line and Universal BioStore automated sample management systems, together with the XPeel microplate de-sealer, the Crystal Farm line of protein crystallization systems and the Aurora high-performance microplates.
In May the firm joined Biomatrica Connect, Biomatrica’s academic/industry partnership for the development, testing, validation, and use of new technologies for the long-term storage, archival, shipping, and management of biological samples.