120+ year industry veteran expands presence in Midwestern US, broadens cleanroom, histology, and microscopy portfolio.
SWEDESBORO, NEW JERSEY – North America’s largest pure-play distributor of scientific products, Thomas Scientific, has officially acquired Minneapolis-based laboratory equipment and cleanroom supply provider North Central Instruments, Inc. (NCI). Finalized August 1st, the deal immediately extends Thomas Scientific’s national footprint while enhancing its ability to serve controlled environment, clinical diagnostic, life science, and industrial customers.
The addition of the Brooklyn Park, Minnesota NCI headquarters marks Thomas’s first foray into the Midwest, serving as a strategic geographical addition to their existing network of 8 national distribution centers.
It also increases Thomas’s ability to deliver solutions in multiple end markets – not just cleanroom, but also microscopy, histology, and nanotech – by leveraging NCI’s key customer and supplier relationships.
“The NCI acquisition is a huge win for our current and future combined customers,” stated Thomas Scientific CEO Charles Simmons. “We can now offer them an even broader technical suite of solutions, thus furthering our mission to be their most trusted partner in science.”
The 60-person NCI team is led by Brad Johnson, who has served as President since 2001. Similar to Thomas Scientific, the NCI sales department consists of specialists in their given end markets who take a consultative approach, focused on customer solutions that improve workflow efficiencies.
Johnson added: “NCI is extremely excited to partner with Thomas Scientific. The synergy is apparent not only in the markets we serve, but also the culture of our companies. We look forward to continuing to provide the best possible service to our customers as a member of the Thomas family”.
Primary product categories offered under NCI’s cleanroom division include cleanroom building components, personal protective equipment (PPE), equipment, and furniture, as well as air compressor sales and service in the Twin Cities area. On the microscopy end, top categories include clinical and research microscopes, industrial microscopes, and imaging, in addition to sample preparation equipment for both the histology and electron microscopy markets. NCI has also been the exclusive regional dealer providing products and services for Leica Microsystems, a leading microscopy and histology manufacturer, since 1990.
Thomas Scientific has made 4 additional acquisitions since late 2017, adding seven locations, numerous product lines, and teams of subject matter experts. The experience and learnings the team has gained from these very strategic acquisitions has not only substantially improved the overall operation, but also the skill set of team members across the organization.
“The acquisition of NCI will give Thomas Scientific a more substantial presence in the Midwest to more effectively meet our customers’ inventory and delivery requirements,” added Chris Pease, VP North American Operations at Thomas. “We are very excited about the opportunity and look forward to partnering with NCI’s very talented team to serve science.”
NCI will continue to operate independently under the Thomas Scientific umbrella for the time being. Learn more about their solutions and culture at nciclean.com (cleanroom) and ncimicro.com (microscopy). Visit Thomas Scientific online at ThomasSci.com.
About Thomas Scientific
Founded in 1900, Thomas Scientific provides a comprehensive offering of suppliers, equipment, and solutions to the scientific community – supporting all cleanroom, laboratory research, biopharmaceutical, medical device, clinical diagnostics, and other related end markets. With a national network of 8 distribution and service centers, supported by a highly technical commercial, customer service, and strategic sourcing organization, Thomas Scientific is an important partner to the scientific community.
About NCI
NCI Incorporated has been in business since 1967. Originally a provider of scientific instrumentation and solutions for microscopy, digital imaging, sample preparation and histology, NCI has expanded to include products for cleanrooms and air compressors. NCI employs experienced, local sales and service representatives to assist in determining the system that best accomplishes your current and future goals. Our consultative approach ensures each one of our clients is completely satisfied with our products and services.
Media Contact
Diane Skala, Vice President, Corporate and Supplier Marketing Services
856.832.3296
diane.skala@thomassci.com
thomassci.com