Merger of three subsidiaries of GeneScan Europe AG in the AgroFood sector to form GeneScan Analytics GmbH

17-Jul-2001

The previously independent subsidiaries of GeneScan Europe AG: GENE-SCAN GmbH (Freiburg), Hanse Analytik GmbH (Bremen) and BioInside GmbH (Teltow near Berlin) merged with effect from July 6, 2001 to form

GeneScan Analytics GmbH.

Parallel to the foundation of this new company the AgroFood Business Unit was formed, which is encompassing all the companies of the GeneScan group operating in the agriculture and food business. Apart from GeneScan Analytics GmbH, these are the international subsidiaries in France, the USA, Australia, Brazil, and Hong Kong. The management of GeneScan Analytics GmbH is to be shared by Dr. Georg Meyer, former Managing Director of the three independent subsidiaries and Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board of GeneScan Europe AG, and Dr. Wolf-Rainer Jüterbock, former Managing Director of BioInside GmbH. This experienced management team ensures the continuity of the successful business policy of the individual companies.

This restructuring is intended to consolidate and further enhance the technological leadership and market position of GeneScan Europe AG in the AgroFood sector both nationally and internationally by increasing efficiency, cutting costs, and through specialization of the individual sites. In concrete terms this will be achieved through the optimum harmonization of the activities of GeneScan Analytics GmbH in the areas of service analytics, development, production, consulting, administration and sales. The use of available resources will be improved through operative (laboratory, sales), administrative (dispatch/logistics, accountancy, joint management) and financial (merged balance) reorganization measures which, taken as a whole, will lead to considerable cost savings.

With regard to laboratory work, this merger will increase the capacities for service analyses and for the production of reagent and biochip kits for molecular biological analytics. Together with the transfer of samples within the company if a branch is operating at full utilization, this increase in capacity guarantees customers in the service sector short sample processing times even if there is a backlog of orders, a situation which can occur during periods of food scandals and crises (e.g. the BSE crisis).

Jobs will not be lost as a result of the merger. On the contrary, the individual sites will gradually be developed into specialist centers. The development of new technologies will continue at all the sites, albeit with different priorities: (1) the focus in Freiburg: methods for DNA extraction, qualitative analyses of genetic modifications; (2) the focus in Bremen: microbial examinations of foodstuffs for pathogens and spoiling agents; (3) the focus in Berlin: quantitative procedures for the detection of genetic modifications and the identification of plant and animal species. Service analytics will from now on be restricted to the Freiburg and Bremen sites, while the production of reagent and biochip kits will take place in Bremen and Berlin.

GeneScan Europe AG plans further restructuring measures in the medical diagnostics sector in order to be able to react dynamically, flexibly and efficiently to the demands of the international market in this area of business as well.

https://www.chemeurope.com/en/news/3919/merger-of-three-subsidiaries-of-genescan-europe-ag-in-the-agrofood-sector-to-form-genescan-analytics-gmbh.html