Malvern Instruments Acquires Viscotek Corporation


17 January 2008: Malvern, UK: Materials characterization company Malvern Instruments has acquired Viscotek Corporation, a leading provider of chromatography solutions for the characterization of natural and synthetic polymers and proteins.

Malvern Instruments is a world-class supplier of systems for the characterization of particulate materials, providing complete application solutions across a broad range of industries. The acquisition of Viscotek brings new and complementary technologies and expertise into the company, adding Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC), Flow Injection Polymer Analysis (FIPA) and Dilute Solution Viscosity (DSV), and extending the range of characterization solutions offered.

Paul Walker, Managing Director of Malvern Instruments said: "Viscotek has a long-established reputation for innovation and quality, and there is a close and complementary fit between the Viscotek product range and Malvern's, for both protein and polymer applications. This acquisition will increase the characterization capabilities of Malvern's existing nanometrology product lines."

Viscotek Corporation, headquartered in Houston, Texas, was founded in 1984 by Dr. Max Haney, inventor of the four-capillary differential viscometer detector. "Since its inception, Viscotek has pioneered innovative technologies and products for gel permeation chromatography of natural and synthetic polymers and proteins, and determination of dilute solution viscosities," he said. "In recent years Viscotek has experienced exciting growth. The powerful alignment of Viscotek's products with the Malvern range will provide even more opportunity to comprehensively meet a broad range of customer needs. I am delighted that the company has become part of Malvern Instruments, where I am confident of further development and a thriving and expanded business."

Expanding on the complementary nature of the two companies' product ranges, Paul Walker went on to say: "In the biomolecular arena the addition of Viscotek systems alongside our existing product range will further inform physical biochemists of the structure-function relationship of proteins, important in determining disease mechanisms for example. In the field of industrial and pharmaceutical polymers, Malvern will now be able to offer complete characterization solutions, essential in the development of new functional polymers that meet the demands of increasingly complex drug delivery systems and stringent environmental requirements.

"Through Malvern's global sales organization, customers worldwide will have access to the full range of solutions, all backed by the company's extensive technical and applications support network."

Viscotek's present management team will continue to lead the business, which will operate as Viscotek Corporation, a Malvern Company.

For further information about the Malvern and Viscotek ranges please visit www.malvern.com and www.viscotek.com

About Malvern Instruments

Malvern Instruments is a global company that develops, manufactures and markets advanced analytical systems used in characterizing a wide variety of materials, from bulk powders to the latest nanomaterials and delicate macromolecules. Innovative technologies and powerful software produce systems that deliver industrially relevant data enabling customers to make the connection between micro (eg particle size) and macro (bulk) material properties (rheology) and chemical composition (chemical imaging). Malvern laboratory, on-line and in-line solutions are proven in sectors from cement to pharmaceuticals and support the understanding, improvement and optimization of many industrial processes.

Headquartered in Malvern, UK, the company has subsidiary organizations in all major European markets, North America, China, Korea and Japan, key partnerships in India, a global distributor network and a number of applications laboratories around the world. www.malvern.com

Malvern Instruments is a subsidiary of Spectris plc, the precision instrumentation and controls company.

About Viscotek Corporation
Viscotek Corporation, headquartered in Houston, Texas, was founded in 1984 by Dr. Max Haney, the inventor of the four-capillary differential viscometer detector. The company is a market leader in the manufacture of Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC), Flow Injection Polymer Analysis (FIPA), and Dilute Solution Viscosity (DSV) detectors and software. Known for its commitment to customer service, quality, and innovation, Viscotek has always worked towards better solutions by improving current instrumentation and developing new products and applications. www.viscotek.com

For press information, please contact;

Trish Appleton,
Kapler Communications
Knowledge Centre, Wyboston Lakes, Great North Road,
Wyboston, Bedfordshire, MK44 3BY, UK
Tel: +44 (0)1480 479280;
Fax: +44 (0)1480 470343
trish@kapleronline.com

Dr Bill Bradbury,
Primetek Solutions
2 Cranleigh Gardens, Kingston-upon-Thames,
Surrey KT2 5TX, UK
Tel. +44 (0)208 546 0869;
Fax +44 (0)208 546 9021
info@primetek-solutions.com

LaDonna Herrera,
Marketing Ideas and Designs, Inc.
Tel: +1 256 657 6423;
Fax: +1 256 717 9156
ladonna@marketingid.com

Company details

Malvern Instruments Ltd
Tel: +44 (0)1684 892456;
Fax: +44 (0)1684 892789

Malvern Instruments Inc.
117 Flanders Road, Westborough,
MA 01581-1042 USA
Tel: +1 508 768 6400;
Fax: +1 508 768 6403

Viscotek World Headquarters
15600 West Hardy Road,
Houston, TX 77060
Tel: +1 281 445 5966 or +1 800 375 5966;
Fax: +1 281 931 4336

Viscotek Europe, Ltd.
Unit 20 Wellington Business Park, Dukes Ride,
Crowthorne, Berkshire RG45 6LS
Tel: +44 (0)1344 467 180;
Fax: +44 (0)1344 779 359

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