In this newsletter I will diverge from the history of the behavioral companies and comment a bit on our companies with respect to the current economy. I believe the Zurn and Herrera family companies are in good shape to deal with these economic conditions. During the last several years we’ve taken prudent steps to build our businesses, specifically on capital equipment and facilities, pursuing engineering and design to offer the largest array of behavioral test equipment available from any manufacturer, and incorporating basic research as part of the foundation of our product development process.
Small businesses like ours are the least expensive job engines of our economy, and are a tremendous asset to the American economy. Companies of this size typically reinvest the majority of earnings back into the company, allowing our businesses and employee base to grow. While we are concerned that the proposed tax structure will limit business owners’ ability to reinvest, we remain optimistic that the current administration will support the companies that remain at the heart of our country and economy. We are very encouraged by the focus on education in the approved stimulus package, and particularly the timely appropriations to NIH. We estimate that for every $150,000 in new equipment orders we receive we will be able to
create one new job.
In the past decade we have invested considerable amounts of money on quality manufacturing equipment to keep our companies competitive. These include state-of-the art automated computer-controlled milling centers, saws, lathes, routers, electrical circuit board assembly (pick and place) and more. We are continuously pursuing new product development, product enhancements, and ventures into new areas. By building this level of infrastructure, we are able to produce a majority of our products in-house, thus maintaining control over our manufacturing process while providing jobs to our local economy.
Basic research is part of the foundation of our product development process. Our St. Albans,
Vermont Science Center is home to our in-house test laboratories. At present we have started the process of adding about 5,000 square feet to our 23,000 square feet of laboratories, which already include a vivarium with survival surgical capabilities. More details on our facility upgrades are included in our new behavioral catalog, available from the Sales department.
Recently we have been expanding our businesses by acquiring and/or developing agreements with other companies. We purchased Living Systems Instrumentation, a Burlington, Vermont-based company that offers instruments for perfused, cannulated blood vessels. In addition, we have entered into a cooperative agreement with Noldus. More information on these ventures is included in the What’s New section.
Our company focus has always been about how to best serve our customers. Internal research, state-of-the-art production facilities, and personal investment of time and funds have been directed towards this goal. It’s been many years since Med Associates was run by myself and my wife Jane. Now MED has three manufacturing/ research sites and more than 90 employees. But the dedication to customers that was present back then is still alive and well today. •
Sincerely,
Karl R. Zurn, M.E.E.
