The transaction expands Thomas Scientific's capabilities to serve the controlled environment, clinical diagnostic, life science, and industrial clients while expanding its national reach
The 60-person NCI team is led by Brad Johnson, who has served as President since 2001. (Credit: Thomas Scientific)
Scientific products distributor Thomas Scientific has acquired Minneapolis-based laboratory equipment and cleanroom supply provider North Central Instruments (NCI).
The transaction expands Thomas Scientific’s capabilities to serve the controlled environment, clinical diagnostic, life science, and industrial clients while expanding its national reach.
The addition of the Brooklyn Park, Minnesota NCI headquarters represents Thomas’s entry into the Midwest with the geographic expansion of their current network of eight national distribution centres.
By utilising NCI’s important client and supplier ties, Thomas’s capacity to provide solutions across a variety of end markets, including microscopy, histology, and nanotech in addition to cleanroom will be improved.
Thomas Scientific CEO Charles Simmons said: “The NCI acquisition is a huge win for our current and future combined customers.
“We can now offer them an even broader technical suite of solutions, thus furthering our mission to be their most trusted partner in science.
“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.”
NCI’s cleanroom division offers personal protective equipment (PPE), furniture, equipment, and cleanroom building components, as well as air compressor sales and service in the Twin Cities area.
For the microscopy sector, the portfolio includes imaging, industrial, clinical, and research microscopes, as well as sample preparation tools for the histology and electron microscopy markets.
Since 1990, NCI has served as the exclusive area reseller for Leica Microsystems, a renowned producer of microscopy and histology equipment.
Since late 2017, Thomas Scientific has added four more acquisitions, giving them access to seven more sites, many more product lines, and teams of subject matter experts.
As per the terms of the deal, NCI will continue to run autonomously for the time being under the Thomas Scientific umbrella.