2020 CMA Preview: Outstanding Bioscience Manufacturer
By Eric Peterson | Jul 19, 2020
The pioneering Colorado manufacturers in the medical and bioscience space are committed to supplying the quality products that end users demand while keeping innovation in sharp focus.
The three finalists for the 2020 Colorado Manufacturing Award for Outstanding Bioscience Manufacturer exemplify these twin aims.
Leiters
Englewood, Colorado
Founded: 1926
Privately owned
Employees: 173
Industry: Bioscience & Medical
Products: Compounding and manufacturing services for hospitals, ophthalmologists, and medical manufacturers
After 90 years in California, Leiters acquired its now-headquarters in Colorado in 2016 and has since expanded it substantially. Spurred by 2013 legislation allowing hospitals to outsource manufacturing of compounded medications, the company has invested in automation in a big way to meet demand.
The strategy is paying dividends. According to the company's nomination, "In 2019, Leiters manufactured to sales plan 120-plus percent of the time ensuring that there were high quality products 'on the shelf' and ready to ship out upon receipt of an order in each month, despite a production growth rate of more than 320 percent from January through December."
CompanyWeek profile: https://companyweek.com/article/leiters
MBio Diagnostics
Boulder, Colorado
Founded: 2009
Privately owned
Employees: 45
Industry: Bioscience & Medical
Products: Point-of-care diagnostics and testing
Nominated by the Colorado Photonics Industry Association, MBio Diagnostics is developing "rapid, on-the-spot testing solutions" at its Boulder HQ. MBio's facility includes R&D labs as well as a 3,750-square-foot cleanroom for pilot-scale manufacturing.
The company's LightDeck platform delivers results in minutes for use in the medical, veterinary, food, and environmental industries. The company has already released technology for the veterinary market. CEO Chris Myatt says a COVID-19 test will be available in fall 2020.
Molecular Products
Louisville, Colorado (HQ: Essex, U.K.)
Founded: 1972
Privately owned
Employees: 150 (50 in Colorado)
Industry: Bioscience & Medical
Products: Carbon dioxide absorbers, oxygen generators, and activated carbon
Molecular Products manufactures adsorbents and filters for the removal of harmful or toxic gases from an air stream, including soda lime-based products used to handle carbon dioxide in anesthesia.
The company's 83,000-square-foot facility in Louisville has a national impact. "In the U.S., about one out of every two patients undergoing inhalation anesthesia during a surgical procedure relies on our soda lime adsorbent for ensuring a safe breathing circuit during their operation," notes CEO Troy Rhudy in the company's nomination for Outstanding Bioscience Manufacturer.
CompanyWeek profile: https://companyweek.com/article/molecular-products
