Tecan
Encyclopedia
Tecan Group Ltd. is a global provider of laboratory
instruments and solutions in biopharmaceuticals, forensics
, and clinical diagnostics for pharmaceutical and biotechnology
companies, university
research departments and diagnostic laboratories.
The company focuses on development, production and distribution of advanced automation and detection solutions for life science laboratories.
Through its REMP subsidiary Tecan is the premier supplier of large-scale automated laboratory storage and logistics systems.
Founded in Switzerland
, in 1980, the company has over 1200 employees, owns production, research and development
sites in both North America
and Europe
and maintains a sales and service network in 52 countries.
In 2008, Tecan generated sales of CHF 396 million (USD 366.7 million; EUR 250.7 million). Registered shares of Tecan Group are traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange TK: TECN/Reuters: TECZn.S/Swiss security number: 1210019).
and laboratory automation devices. The first company office is in the home of the CEO, Heinz Abplanalp, in Hombrechtikon
, Switzerland. Tecan soon also starts to produce instruments for laboratory automation
and environmental analysis. The first instruments are made in renovated barns, apartments and warehouses spread across the whole village of Hombrechtikon. In 1982 the opening of Tecan US in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
, for sales and marketing in North America, and Tecan Production Corp. to manufacture for the US market take place. Two years later 48% of the share capital taken over by the finance company Zelux. In 1985 Tecan enters the market with the Tecan Samplers 500 series, the first process-controlled and fully automatic group of pipetting devices. Other products are pH-electrodes, the Tecan Plant SAP Extractor 400 and the Tecan RSP 5052.
In 1986 Tecan is nominated as the Swiss Company of the Year by the Zurich
industrialists Branco Weiss and by publishers Jean Frey and Ringier, and is awarded the respected Branco-Weiss Prize for innovative companies (TV broadcast). In the same year Tecan Holding AG founded and Tecan Asia opens in Singapore. With 80 employees, Tecan achieves a turnover of almost CHF 20 million ub 1986. Listing on the Zurich stock exchange follows in 1987. All employees receive shares in the company. Good growth in the share price allows Tecan to acquire ten companies in quick succession, including the OEM Cavro Scientific Instruments in the USA (today Tecan Systems, Inc.).
In 1988 Tecan acquires SLT Laborinstrumente GmbH in Grödig near Salzburg
, Austria
(today Tecan Austria). At the end of the year, Tecan Holding includes 29 companies. With rapid growth through company acquisitions, costs run out of control. By the middle of the year, Tecan is in financial difficulties, and trading in shares is temporarily suspended. Under CEO Hans Widmer, Tecan has an increase in capital and sells a large proportion of its companies in 1990. Remaining in the group are just the production sites in the area of liquid handling and robotics (Switzerland, USA, Austria) and the sales centres in Germany, Great Britain and the USA. Tecan is again profitable as a result of concentrating on laboratory automation. The founder Heinz Abplanalp leaves the company. Peter Bollmann becomes CEO. One year later the other founding members also leave the company. Two years later Gottlieb Knoch takes over the majority of Tecan shares as an industrial investor. He becomes President of the board and CEO of the Tecan Group. In 1994 all production sites are certified to ISO 9001.
Launch of the Genesis Series in 1995 based on new technology/innovation (electronics, communication protocols, new storage systems, etc.). In 1997 Perkin-Elmer acquires the package of shares from Gottlieb Knoch and thus the majority of voting shares. Through Perkin-Elmer, the life-sciences market opens up for Tecan. In 1998 a collaboration followed with Abbott Laboratories
in marketing Genesis FE 500 Workcell. Emile Sutcliffe becomes CEO in 1999. Perkin-Elmer sells its Tecan shares on the open market. Tecan is restructured and goes public for the second time. As a public company listed in the main sector of the SWX Swiss Exchange, Tecan’s shareholders are now widely distributed.
In 2001 Tecan moves to the new headquarters in Männedorf
. Two years later more than 5,000 Genesis platforms were sold. The successful launch of the new Freedom EVO platform takes place and Aitor Galdos becomes CEO in 2003. He leaves Tecan at the end of 2004. In 2005 Tecan celebrates its 25th anniversary. Thomas Bachmann becomes CEO. Tecan takes over the company REMP based in Oberdiessbach
, Switzerland. REMP is the world’s leading supplier of fully automated laboratory and logistics systems in the life-science area.
In 2006 Tecan Austria receives two awards from the Federal State Salzburg
, Chamber of Commerce. The first award praises Tecan Austria for being the most innovative company in industry with their product family ‘Infinite’. The second award heralds Tecan Austria as the federal state winner and is therefore granted the innovation prize for the state of Austria. In 2007 more than 1,000 Freedom EVO platforms sold.
In 2010 Tecan celebrates its 30 years anniversary.
Laboratory
A laboratory is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. The title of laboratory is also used for certain other facilities where the processes or equipment used are similar to those in scientific laboratories...
instruments and solutions in biopharmaceuticals, forensics
Forensics
Forensic science is the application of a broad spectrum of sciences to answer questions of interest to a legal system. This may be in relation to a crime or a civil action...
, and clinical diagnostics for pharmaceutical and biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
companies, university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
research departments and diagnostic laboratories.
The company focuses on development, production and distribution of advanced automation and detection solutions for life science laboratories.
Through its REMP subsidiary Tecan is the premier supplier of large-scale automated laboratory storage and logistics systems.
Founded in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, in 1980, the company has over 1200 employees, owns production, research and development
Research and development
The phrase research and development , according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, refers to "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of...
sites in both North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and maintains a sales and service network in 52 countries.
In 2008, Tecan generated sales of CHF 396 million (USD 366.7 million; EUR 250.7 million). Registered shares of Tecan Group are traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange TK: TECN/Reuters: TECZn.S/Swiss security number: 1210019).
History
Engineers Heinz Abplanalp, Heini Maurer, Heini Möckli and Gallus Blatter are the founders of Tecan (March 18, 1980), a company with the aim of developing measuring, analysisAnalysis
Analysis is the process of breaking a complex topic or substance into smaller parts to gain a better understanding of it. The technique has been applied in the study of mathematics and logic since before Aristotle , though analysis as a formal concept is a relatively recent development.The word is...
and laboratory automation devices. The first company office is in the home of the CEO, Heinz Abplanalp, in Hombrechtikon
Hombrechtikon
Hombrechtikon is a municipality in the district of Meilen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.-History:Hombrechtikon is first mentioned in 1200 as Humbrechtigkon. In 1217 it was mentioned as Hunbrechticon.-Geography:...
, Switzerland. Tecan soon also starts to produce instruments for laboratory automation
Laboratory Automation
Laboratory automation is a multi-disciplinary strategy to research, develop, optimize and capitalize on technologies in the laboratory that enable new and improved processes...
and environmental analysis. The first instruments are made in renovated barns, apartments and warehouses spread across the whole village of Hombrechtikon. In 1982 the opening of Tecan US in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, for sales and marketing in North America, and Tecan Production Corp. to manufacture for the US market take place. Two years later 48% of the share capital taken over by the finance company Zelux. In 1985 Tecan enters the market with the Tecan Samplers 500 series, the first process-controlled and fully automatic group of pipetting devices. Other products are pH-electrodes, the Tecan Plant SAP Extractor 400 and the Tecan RSP 5052.
In 1986 Tecan is nominated as the Swiss Company of the Year by the Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
industrialists Branco Weiss and by publishers Jean Frey and Ringier, and is awarded the respected Branco-Weiss Prize for innovative companies (TV broadcast). In the same year Tecan Holding AG founded and Tecan Asia opens in Singapore. With 80 employees, Tecan achieves a turnover of almost CHF 20 million ub 1986. Listing on the Zurich stock exchange follows in 1987. All employees receive shares in the company. Good growth in the share price allows Tecan to acquire ten companies in quick succession, including the OEM Cavro Scientific Instruments in the USA (today Tecan Systems, Inc.).
In 1988 Tecan acquires SLT Laborinstrumente GmbH in Grödig near Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
(today Tecan Austria). At the end of the year, Tecan Holding includes 29 companies. With rapid growth through company acquisitions, costs run out of control. By the middle of the year, Tecan is in financial difficulties, and trading in shares is temporarily suspended. Under CEO Hans Widmer, Tecan has an increase in capital and sells a large proportion of its companies in 1990. Remaining in the group are just the production sites in the area of liquid handling and robotics (Switzerland, USA, Austria) and the sales centres in Germany, Great Britain and the USA. Tecan is again profitable as a result of concentrating on laboratory automation. The founder Heinz Abplanalp leaves the company. Peter Bollmann becomes CEO. One year later the other founding members also leave the company. Two years later Gottlieb Knoch takes over the majority of Tecan shares as an industrial investor. He becomes President of the board and CEO of the Tecan Group. In 1994 all production sites are certified to ISO 9001.
Launch of the Genesis Series in 1995 based on new technology/innovation (electronics, communication protocols, new storage systems, etc.). In 1997 Perkin-Elmer acquires the package of shares from Gottlieb Knoch and thus the majority of voting shares. Through Perkin-Elmer, the life-sciences market opens up for Tecan. In 1998 a collaboration followed with Abbott Laboratories
Abbott Laboratories
Abbott Laboratories is an American-based global, diversified pharmaceuticals and health care products company. It has 90,000 employees and operates in over 130 countries. The company headquarters are in Abbott Park, North Chicago, Illinois. The company was founded by Chicago physician, Dr....
in marketing Genesis FE 500 Workcell. Emile Sutcliffe becomes CEO in 1999. Perkin-Elmer sells its Tecan shares on the open market. Tecan is restructured and goes public for the second time. As a public company listed in the main sector of the SWX Swiss Exchange, Tecan’s shareholders are now widely distributed.
In 2001 Tecan moves to the new headquarters in Männedorf
Männedorf
Männedorf is a municipality in the district of Meilen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.-History:Like in all other village along the lake of Zürich, archeological findings indicate settlements in the stone ages. The original settlement in the 7th or 8th century was called village of Manno...
. Two years later more than 5,000 Genesis platforms were sold. The successful launch of the new Freedom EVO platform takes place and Aitor Galdos becomes CEO in 2003. He leaves Tecan at the end of 2004. In 2005 Tecan celebrates its 25th anniversary. Thomas Bachmann becomes CEO. Tecan takes over the company REMP based in Oberdiessbach
Oberdiessbach
Oberdiessbach is a municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.-History:Oberdiessbach is first mentioned in 1218 as Tiecebac. Until 1870 it was known as Diessbach.-Geography:...
, Switzerland. REMP is the world’s leading supplier of fully automated laboratory and logistics systems in the life-science area.
In 2006 Tecan Austria receives two awards from the Federal State Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
, Chamber of Commerce. The first award praises Tecan Austria for being the most innovative company in industry with their product family ‘Infinite’. The second award heralds Tecan Austria as the federal state winner and is therefore granted the innovation prize for the state of Austria. In 2007 more than 1,000 Freedom EVO platforms sold.
In 2010 Tecan celebrates its 30 years anniversary.