Charleston Regional Development Alliance

Berkeley, Charleston & Dorchester Counties

Printed from www.crda.org

Pharmaceutical research company to establish corporate headquarters in the Charleston region

Oct. 1, 2003
For Immediate Release
OCTOBER 1, 2003 – A producer of equipment used in pharmaceutical research will establish its corporate headquarters, R&D and distribution center in the Charleston region. Long-term plans call for NanoScreen, LLC, which was founded in the Los Angeles area, to bring some manufacturing functions to the region as well.

NanoScreen will be serving major pharmaceutical companies, such as Eli Lily, Pfizer, Merck, Amgen, Glaxo Smith Kline and others, with pipette tips and automated dispensing systems used in drug discovery and other early-stage research. The company will be producing and shipping 30 million pipettes a year. It also manufactures both standard and highly customized dispensing systems. The company is expected to yield 60 jobs for the region over the next five years.

Daniel Dechert, president and CEO of NanoScreen, cited the region’s growing technology base and desirable lifestyle attributes as key factors in the company’s decision to locate here. “When we were considering a location for our company, we fully intended to stay in the Los Angeles area,” he said. “I had spent some time in Charleston several years ago and really liked the area, but I didn’t think it had the right climate for supporting this type of business.”

Upon further investigation, however, the Charleston region proved to be a good match for the company, noted Dechert. “We found that the Charleston area had improved its tech infrastructure considerably, had a strong interest in growing its high-tech community and showed a great willingness to help locate our company here. We saw no reason why it wouldn’t work,” he said.

Dechert worked closely with his business consultant, Todd Smith, to map out the move. “We found the perfect building, the right set of incentives and got a great deal of help from the local economic development team,” Smith said.

NanoScreen’s headquarters will be located on Jessen Lane off Clements Ferry Road, and will serve as the company’s center for inspection and packaging of pipettes, as well as development of its automated systems. NanoScreen currently serves customers throughout the United States and is investigating opportunities in Japan, Australia and Europe.

Bill Youngblood, chairman of the Charleston Regional Development Alliance, which assisted the company with its location plans, noted that NanoScreen fits well with the region’s long-term economic development objectives. “With NanoScreen joining our business community, we continue to build a base of medical technology companies in the Charleston region. By growing and thriving here, NanoScreen will send a strong message to similar companies that investing in the Charleston region is a smart business decision.”

“We’re pleased to welcome NanoScreen to our growing community of technology-oriented research and manufacturing companies,” said Jim Rozier, Berkeley County supervisor and county council chairman. "We're excited that, once again, a high-tech company has recognized our county’s strong business climate and exceptional, highly skilled workforce.”
The Alliance works with numerous organizations to help facilitate company announcements, such as the one made today. The South Carolina Department of Commerce is a key partner in this effort.

“NanoScreen fits perfectly into the Governor’s vision of getting South Carolina out ahead of the curve toward a knowledge-based economy,” said Bob Faith, Secretary of Commerce. “This is indeed a day to celebrate both in the Lowcountry and throughout the state.”

The Charleston Regional Development Alliance represents Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties. Its mission is to broaden and diversify business investment in this region, with a new emphasis on technology-intensive business sectors. Since its inception, the Alliance has worked with thousands of companies to help promote business investment and quality growth in the area. To learn more, go to www.charleston-for-business.com.

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Alliance Media Contact:
Colleen Troy
843-577-7327
ctroy@rawle-murdy.com

Company contact:
Todd Smith
(843) 881-8841
tsmith@nanoscreen.com
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