www.escoglobal.com Challenges Facing the Biomedical Industry Esco’s Participation in 2011 Biosafety Conference Esco participated in the world’s largest conference and expo - PITTCON Esco Mascot finally has a Name! USDA ARS Biosafety Event Lab Manager Magazine Webinar BSCs Esco GB’s Tender Triumph Fun Facts about Singapore! Esco’s latest Robotic Welding System 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 When clean air solutions are important to you, depend on Esco Laboratory and Cleanroom equipment for proven safety and performance. When clean air solutions are important to you, depend on Esco Laboratory and Cleanroom equipment for proven safety and performance. April 2011 ESCO News
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www.escoglobal.com
Challenges Facing the Biomedical IndustryEsco’s Participation in 2011 Biosafety ConferenceEsco participated in the world’s largest conference and expo - PITTCONEsco Mascot finally has a Name!USDA ARS Biosafety EventLab Manager Magazine Webinar BSCsEsco GB’s Tender TriumphFun Facts about Singapore!Esco’s latest Robotic Welding System
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When clean air solutions are important to you, depend on Esco Laboratory and Cleanroom equipment for proven safety and performance.
When clean air solutions are important to you, depend on Esco Laboratory and Cleanroom equipment for proven safety and performance.
April 2011ESCO News
3Esco News | April 2011
CEO Letter
Dear Reader
We are pleased to present this inaugural issue of Esco’s newsletter.
Esco’s Vision is to provide enabling technologies for scientific discoveries to make
human lives healthier and safer. This Vision helps Esco team members find meaning
in the work that we do, whether it is in manufacturing, advising a customer, or
designing a product. We believe that we can only be successful when one has passion
and enjoys one’s work – and finding meaning in what we do is the foundation for
all of that.
We are just closing the 1st quarter of 2011 now, which has been successful on
multiple fronts. The 2011-2013 Strategic Plan we developed has been set into
strong motion. Healthy sales growth has been recorded in Q1. Many new products
are under development and will be launched in 2011. Ultralow freezers will be launched this month in Southeast Asia and
in additional territories in June. Manufacturing capacity has been expanded and the retrofitting of ETC, our new 160,000
sq. ft. manufacturing facility, is progressing according to schedule. We are always striving to improve quality.
The present competitive landscape – flat markets in North America, Europe & Japan, strong competition from existing
and emerging players, foreign exchange risk – poses many challenges, but with spirit, determination, speed and flexibility,
we will prevail.
I would like to acknowledge the efforts of our team members around the world, the partnership of our suppliers and
distributors, and the support of our customers.
Sincerely,
XQ Lin
Group CEO
Lin Xiang Qian, CEO
4 Esco News | April 2011
Esco Corporate Profile
Esco is a story of hard work, entrepreneurship and the empowerment of others. Since its founding in 1978 the company has earned a reputation for innovation in worldwide laboratory equipment, pharmaceutical and cleanroom industries. The company’s vision is to effectively provide enabling technologies for scientific discoveries to make human lives healthier and safer.
From the headquarters in Singapore, Esco directs a highly efficient research, product development, manufacturing and customer service program. Esco is the only company in its market that is completely configured to export most of its manufactured products.
The products being sold in more than 100 countries include biological safety cabinets, fume hoods, ductless fume hoods, laminar flow clean benches, animal containment workstations, cytotoxic cabinets, hospital pharmacy isolators, PCR cabinets, thermal cyclers and instrumentation.
To date, Esco directly employs more than 700 persons, 70% of whom work outside of Singapore. Indeed, Esco is a story of technical invention and imagination played out over a geographic expanse so broad that the sun never sets on what they do.
Esco Singapore Office
5Esco News | April 2011
Esco Corporate Profile
Esco as World leader in BSCsFrom its many years of research and implementation, Esco has become the world leader in biological safety cabinets, offering the industry’s widest product range, with thousands of installations in leading laboratories in over 100 countries around the globe.
Esco Biological Safety Cabinets represent more than 20 locally, regionally and internationally-recognized certifications. These accreditations testify to the enhanced performance of Esco products in biological and microbiological applications.
Esco is committed to compliance with international standards for product performance, safety and energy efficiency. Certifications and recommended practices apply to products, manufacturing processes and administrative documentation including biological safety cabinets, fume hoods, air quality, electrical safety and more.
Esco’s unique FeaturesULPA filters tested to a typical efficiency of >99.999% for 0.1 to 0.3 micron particles. ULPA filters last as long as •conventional HEPA filters and have similar replacement costs. ISOCIDE™ antimicrobial coating on all powder coated surfaces eliminates 99.9% of surface bacteria within 24 hours •of exposure.
Esco’s AdvantageEsco’s manufacturing advantage stems from its extensive degree of vertical integration coupled with world-leading throughput. All processes, with few exceptions, are performed in-house. This allows Esco to achieve quality and reliability that is truly world-class. Its manufacturing plant capabilities include:
Incoming materials inspection and warehousing•CNC-controlled sheet metal fabrication and welding•Environmentally-friendly powder coating lines•Electromechanical final product assembly•Electrical / electronics sub-assembly•Multi-step electrical and physical performance testing•Independent quality control at each step in the production cycle•Microbiology, chemistry, containment test labs•Production output of more than 10,000 units per year•
Furthermore, Esco is committed to 100% customer satisfaction and therefore it provides after sales services which include warranty card registration, online technical information and other helpful references and links.
As you learn more about Esco, you will understand why World Class. Worldwide.is more than just a phrase. It’s part of who the people at Esco are, where they are from and where they are going.
6 Esco News | April 2011
The Biomedical Industry – From the disease research laboratories to the pharmaceutical manufacturing companies has contributed so much in increasing the human life quality. However, like many other industries in today’s economy, the biomedical industry is facing a lot of challenges.
Firstly, the pharmaceutical patent cliff has led to industry consolidation and cost pressures. Secondly, government deficits in developed economies are straining research & development budgets. This is also leading to cost pressures, especially in regards to capital equipment purchases.
Thirdly, growth in Asia has led to an expansion of research & development and manufacturing in the region. This is
also driving an increased demand for best-value solutions with strong customer support programs.
These challenges have fostered a rapid growth in the CRO (contract research organization) and CMO (contract manufacturing organization) market. Outsourcing complex projects to these types of organizations allows the biomedical industry to shift their sources from employment to the project itself – the result is not only lower research and manufacturing cost, but also quality products and solutions.
As more and more western biomedical companies outsource their requirement to the eastern organizations, namely China, India and even Singapore – the more opportunities that we have to show and contribute to the biomedical world.
Challenges Facing the Biomedical Industry
Esco’s Sr. Vice President, Mr. Lim Lay Yew delivered his speech on the Challenges facing the Biomedical Industry during Biospectrum Asia Conference & Annual Industry Awards 2011 held at The Legends, Fort Cannings Park, Singapore last March 16, 2011.
7Esco News | April 2011
In Singapore, the Medtech industry has grown into a cluster of different companies with different background of geographies as well as sub-sectors. The result is that the industry is now hiring around 11,000 workers and its annual output reached about 2.34 Billion SGD.
According to the Singapore Venture report published last August 2010, there are about 45 active technology companies and projects undertaken at Bio-medical Sciences. This only means that the business groups who are investing for startup companies are relatively large.
As more CROs and CMOs grow in the eastern countries, so do the needs for quality products that can support their activities. The CROs and CMOs require the same quality products as their partners in the western market, which of course require the strong local support industries for such products. This will drive the rise of biomedical equipment industries – research, manufacturing, and support – in the eastern hemisphere.
Esco is a local Singapore home grown biomedical equipment manufacturing company with a worldwide footprint, with over 100 distributors worldwide providing solutions and services every day. This gives us the opportunity to assist the biomedical industry with their needs for quality products and strong local support not only in Singapore but also the world.
Another challenge that we face is the depletion of natural resources which has led to an increased concern over environmental sustainability. This is driving the demand for energy efficient solutions in laboratories, which are modern energy hogs.
The result of this requirement is a vast number of new energy green products - from the blowers to lamps, which allow the emergence of green products such as biological safety cabinets, laminar flow clean benches, ovens and incubators, As more research is driven toward a greener solution, we will see more of this type of products in the future.
With its large research and development investment, Esco ensures that we will always be on the forefront of green biomedical equipment technologies.
Finally, pharmaceutical type quality assurance processes are filtering down to other industries like food and beverage. With the emergence of a large middle class in Asia, consumer demands towards quality and safety are higher than ever before.
These demands ensure that the biomedical equipment industry will keep on innovating and re-inventing their products to meet the needs for not only quality products that can contribute to the research and manufacturing processes, but also the safety of the personnel involved in such processes.
Esco has the highest number of certifications of quality and safety standards from organizations and governments all over the world. This can ensure any CRO and CMO that the products that they use are not only of world class quality, but also able to provide safety for their personnel.
Taken during the open forum on Strategic Alliances in Asia & Globally.
Presentation of Esco’s controlled environment Equipment Solutions.
8 Esco News | April 2011
Esco participated in the 2011 Biosafety Conference held in Bangkok, Thailand this past February 15-17, 2011. The said conference was spearheaded by the International Federation of Biosafety Associations (IFBA) with the theme: Global Biosafety and Biosecurity - Taking Action.
The conference was deliberately planned to identify urgent gaps and priorities as well as recommend actions to advance biosafety and biosecurity giving more attention to sustainable capacity where it is needed.
One of the highlights of the event was the campaign to support high standards in the safe and secure operation of biological facilities of all kinds and to respond to the most challenging biological risks in areas with high endemic diseases, particularly in less well-resourced areas in the world.
Furthermore, the call to implement sound biosafety and biosecurity practices was effectively communicated to all participants by highlighting its benefits which include:
Minimizing the socio-economic impact of human and 1. animal disease outbreaks and better protection for laboratory staff, community and environment. Contributing to better biosecurity through control of 2. access to dangerous pathogens and tracking their use and improving reporting of incidents.
Following the event, priorities have been identified and goals were set to help address gaps and needs. The following are the short term plans and projects to be implemented.
Raising awareness from the political and public 1. perspectives, and encouraging collaboration among the human and animal health communities.Developing sustainable biosafety associations and 2. mapping gaps and needs.Providing advice to the competent national authorities 3. and services for the improvement of efficient waste management through disseminating knowledge of appropriate systems, tools and technologies for public and veterinary health environments.Promoting human and laboratory capacity building 4. with proper identification of gaps and needs using the best available concepts, principles and practices.
In addition, long-term goals were also identified such as:Promoting biosafety education, particularly of the 1. younger generation, involving curriculum development within a common framework and a common methodology for evaluation.Supporting appropriate and practical legislative 2. framework development.Developing a strategy to obtain funding for applied 3. biosafety research programs.
The above mentioned recommendations for action were developed by 160 participants from 36 countries from all regions of the world given that the challenges related to endemic biological risks vary in different regions.
Esco’s Participation in 2011 Biosafety Conference
9Esco News | April 2011
PITTCON is the world’s largest annual conference and exposition for laboratory science. It offers the latest technology and instrumentation from more than 950 exhibitors from all over the world. It is a diverse Technical Program of over 2,200 abstracts to technical presentations, over 100 Short Courses to enhance the educational experience, and a good networking avenue that gives opportunity to exchange innovative ideas with scientists from around the globe.
The 2011 PITTCON Conference and Expo was held in Georgia World Congress Center – Atlanta, Georgia, USA last March 14-16 2011. Esco actively participated in the said event from day one up to the last day of the event.During the first day of Pittcon 2011, Esco staff was very busy displaying Esco’s extensive line of laboratory equipment. Also, the booth activity was brisk and Esco personnel conducted several training sessions for international dealers and distributors while holding many individual meetings and negotiation sessions. Furthermore, many attendees visited the booth in response to Esco’s participation in the Pittcon Passport Promotion as well as the contest to choose a name for to choose a name for the Esco mascot.
The contest drew a lot of attention from the attendees and of course, the prize was undeniably awesome! An Apple iPad was given away to Megan Larson from Memphis Tennessee for having her entry drawn from among all those who participated in the balloting to choose a name for Esco’s mascot.
PITTCON is more than just an exhibit for Esco, the team exerted significant effort in conducting trainings about the newest products and services. Also, Esco devoted time to meeting with its attending distributors and working to develop stronger mutually beneficial relationships with them. There were also some new opportunities that came in for partnership which will definitely help strengthen the global business.
Following the second day of the Pittcon exhibition, Esco held its annual Distributor Appreciation Dinner. Approximately 40 members of the Esco worldwide distributor community joined in an exceptional evening of fine dining catered by one of Atlanta’s finest groups, Aqua Blue. This year’s private event was held at the Venetian Room located in the Hurt Building. The Hurt Building is one of Atlanta’s truly historic structures and holds the distinction of being Atlanta’s first skyscraper. The Venetian Room provided a very special setting for a wonderful evening of socializing and Aqua Blue provided a menu in keeping with Atlanta’s finest.
Esco is represented in more than 100 countries around the globe by some of the industry’s finest sales organizations. The annual Distributor Appreciation Dinner is just one of Esco’s ways of saying “Thank You” to all the distributors for taking part in the company’s growth and success. Another year of Pittcon exhibition was completed and Esco is looking forward to participating in next year’s Pittcon in Orlando, FL.
1st Line: From left to right – Linna, Lala, Yufen, XQ Lin and Doug.2nd Line: From left to right Claudia, Mike Martin, Olga, Quassim and Alvin.
Esco participated in the world’s largest conference and expo - PITTCON
Annual Distributor Appreciation Dinner held at Atlanta’s historic Venetian Room
10 Esco News | April 2011
Esco Mascot finally has a Name!
The results are in! The ballots have been tabulated from all those who participated in the contest conducted at the recently held Pittcon 2011 Exhibition. By a landslide with 33% of all votes cast, the name chosen for Esco’s mascot is “Dr. Einesco”.
The contest was very successful and fun. It garnered a lot of interest from visitors to the Esco booth during the exhibition in Atlanta, GA. The winner of the iPad whose name was drawn out from among all those who participated was Megan Larson from Memphis, TN and she is now in possession of her new iPad. Congratulations, Megan!
Esco would like to thank all who participated in the contest to make it a fun and exciting event by casting their ballots for the choice of a name for our mascot.
Esco’s mascot is now officially named “Dr. Einesco”.
11Esco News | April 2011
USDA ARS Biosafety Event Esco Technologies, Inc. recently participated in the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS) 1st International Biosafety and Biocontainment Symposium held February 6-9, 2011 in Baltimore, MD. The theme of the symposium was Animal Production & Protection: Challenges, Risks, and Best Practices. The American Biological Safety Association (ABSA), of which Esco Technologies is a corporate member, was the managing partner for this 1st annual symposium in conjunction with the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS), American Society for Microbiology (ASM), American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), Biosecurity Engagement Program (BEP) and the Elizabeth R. Griffin Research Foundation (ERGRF).
Esco was one of only 30 industry exhibitors invited to participate in this event showcasing the latest agricultural biosafety and biocontainment products and services. The event drew many international visitors in addition to researchers and veterinarians from within the United States and Canada .The conference and its pre-symposium courses proved to be so successful that it was decided to pursue bi-annual development of the event by its sponsors.
12 Esco News | April 2011
Lab Manager Magazine Webinar BSCsMike Martin, General Manager of Esco Technologies, Inc. recently
participated in a webinar sponsored by Lab Manager Magazine as part
of their Product Showcase Webinar Series on Advances in Technology
in Cell Culture Labs. The six-part series will focus on the following
lab products – Automation, Biological safety cabinets, CO2 Incubators,
Microplate Readers, Reagents/Kits and Water Purification Systems.
This is the first of its kind online-only webinar focused on specific lab
products used within a cell culture lab, bringing together researchers,
scientists and key decision makers in the lab with vendors. The five
major biological safety cabinet manufacturers in North America
participated in the webinar on Tuesday, Feb 15, 2011. Each panelist
was given 10 minutes to present to an audience of lab professionals
on how advancements in their biological safety cabinets are meeting
the needs of researchers in cell culture labs and are having a positive
business impact in the lab. Following all the presentations, there was
a live Q&A session wherein the approximately 250 attendees could ask
questions and seek guidance from the panel. The video for the presentation can be viewed on the Lab Manager
website at www.labmanager.com/bscshowcase. Mike has also been invited to participate in the upcoming webinar
focusing on CO2 Incubators scheduled for early March 2011.
Mike Martin, General Manager of Esco Technologies, Inc.
Esco Labculture® Biological Safety Cabinets deliver the best performance on earth, independently tested, locally serviced, microbiologically proven. They’re quiet, cost effective and backed by redundant safety systems to protect you, your work and your laboratory.
Don’t buy a biological safety cabinet until you’ve seen Esco quality for yourself. Esco cabinets are now available throughout North America from our fully stocked product centers in the USA. To learn more visit us.escoglobal.com
We’ll pass your test, too.
We’ve passed more performance tests, in more languages, for more certifications, throughout more countries, than any other biological safety cabinet manufacturer in the world.
In March 2011 Esco GB will, in co-operation with one of its major distributors SLS Ltd, deliver and install a range of microbiological safety cabinets and fume cupboards at The University of Edinburgh, Scottish Centre for Regenerative Medicine (SCRM).
The centre brings together world leading stem cell research with established clinical excellence to deliver a ‘bench-to-bedside’ approach aimed at developing new treatments for major diseases including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, degenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease, and liver failure.
Its mission is to gain fundamental understanding of stem cells, to use this knowledge to improve human health and to provide leadership in training the next generation of basic and clinical scientists in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. It will also act as a centre for public engagement, information and as a source of advice for policy makers. These are all factors which make SCRM a high profile client for Esco GB.
The Esco scope of supply comprises 41 x LP2-4D1 Labculture Plus Class II Safety Cabinets, 4 x LA2-6G1 Labculture Hi-flow Class II Safety Cabinets fitted with Leica microscopes, 6 x EFA-6UDRVW-8 Frontier Acela 6ft Ducted Fume Cupboards and 1 x EFI-6UD4VW-8 Frontier Radioisotope 6ft Ducted Fume Cupboard.
Esco GB, along with some of its main competitors, was invited to tender for the works. IIn this case it was deemed that the most effective approach for Esco GB was to team up with SLS, a key distributor that has a strong presence and support structure in Scotland.
After multiple meetings, tender changes and application revisions, SLS/Esco GB were awarded the tender and have since been working closely with the client to co-ordinate the installation and ensure effective integration with the building services and ancillary equipment.
The tender was won not only due to the unbiased and fast technical guidance and support from Esco GB and SLS, but also due to the compatibility of the products to the tender, cost effectiveness, and an all round willingness to understand and adapt to the customers requirements.
14 Esco News | April 2011
Fun Facts about Singapore! Singapore is known as the Lion City. It is a city-state island country located at the southern end of the Malay Peninsula. It has fascinating mix of pan-Asian cultures, exquisite natural beauty, ethnicities, cuisines and architectures. It is also a modern high-tech city ranked as the fourth leading financial centre in the world and plays a key role in international trade and finance. Moreover, Singapore attracts millions of tourists in search of fun, fashion, shopping and more. It is because it has so many magnificent possessions to offer the world.
Let’s start with the charming spots that can be seen in Singapore.1. Haw Par Villa This famous wonderland of Chinese Mythology and
Legends was first conceptualized and developed in 1937 by Aw Boon Haw. It is a unique garden that’s rich in educational value and architecture. The sculptures portray stories of famous Chinese historical legends, mythology and personalities.
2. Bukit Timah Nature Reserve This reserve is one of the biggest areas of forest in
Singapore. The number of plant species that grow here exceeds that in North America. Tourists can walk along in the forest trails and enjoy various kinds of plants, animals and even insects. It is home to around 160 species of animals.
3. Escape Theme Park This is one of the biggest and the wildest amusement
parks in Singapore. It has many thrilling rides and exciting carnivals that can turn any dull world into a whacky-whirly and topsy-turvy one.
Also, Singaporeans love to eat and there is no doubt that in Singapore you will find a large variety of food. So get your forks, satay-sticks or chop sticks and let’s explore!
Here are some of the symbolic foods for Chinese.1. Kueh Lapis – It signifies an “ever upward” climb into
prosperity and abundance.2. Yu Sheng – It is a must-eat during Chinese New Year.
The word “Yu” means abundance while “Sheng” means life. Therefore Yu Sheng symbolizes abundance of wealth and long life.
3. Lo hei – It means “tossing up”. When someone says “lo hei yu sheng”, it means tossing up for abundance of both life and wealth.
If there are symbolic foods, there are also all-time-favorite foods, and these are:1. Chicken Rice is an extremely popular dish. It is a
combination of rice, roasted chicken and cucumber as garnish.
2. Fried rice is the all time favorite dish in Singapore. There are lots of ways to prepare this dish. Some people mix up eggs and vegetables while others love to add lup cheung or love char.
3. Mooncakes – These are eaten during Lunar Mid autumn Festival. The brown mooncakes are baked until the skin becomes crispy. It can be either sweet or salty. Green mooncakes on the other hand, have soft skin with sweet lotus paste.
Indeed, Singapore is a fun and nice country to live in and explore. It develops new creations, services, technology as well as products. No wonder it can easily draw investors, talents, businesses and ordinary people because it is -- Uniquely Singapore!
At night, the illumination highlights the 8.6 meter tall Merlion statue that spurts water into the Singapore River!
15Esco News | April 2011
Esco’s latest Robotic Welding System
Technology when applied to any efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. This is true of Esco’s venture in using the latest welding technology – The Robotic Welding System.
The said robotic equipment was carefully set up and tested for several days and is now up and running. Furthermore, it has been examined extensively and the result was documented and proven to be consistent and effective.The production increase realized was two times more compared to the traditional manual welding set up and the quality is undoubtedly good.
Additionally, the new robotic welding system saved the workers more time because of its speed and accuracy. Indeed 2-3 hours of work can be done in just an hour with the new system. Also, it is a cost effective method as there is little wasted gas compared to the manual way of welding.
The robotic system is composed of 3 main parts identified as the Robot Arm, Controller and the Welding Machine.
The entire system was set up by industry experts and the relevant engineers were trained to use and program the robot in accordance with its intended use.
In the near future, Esco will utilize this technology to increase the production without sacrificing the quality of the product thus ensuring the customer’s requirements are achieved.
Taken during the actual production at Esco Bintan Factory
Certified In More Countries Than Any Other Manufacturer.
When it comes to safety and protection, Esco biological safety cabinets deliver. Every Esco cabinet is a triumph of engineering - from the ground up and inside out. With their durable antimicrobial coated heavy gauge sheet metal shells, ULPA filters 10 times more efficient than the industry average, and a certification program second to none in the industry; Esco cabinets perform, protecting laboratory personnel day in and day out.
IN YOUR WORLD, YOUR BIOLOGICAL SAFETY CABINET SHOULD BE YOUR FORTRESS.
2940 Turnpike Drive, Units 15-16 Hatboro, PA 19040, USA441-9661 441-9660
Esco Global Offices | Breukelen, The Netherlands | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Manama, Bahrain Mumbai, India | Philadelphia, USA | Salisbury, UK | Shanghai, China | Singapore LIVE SUPPORT
MAY 20115 - 6, A-PBA 6th Annual Biosafety ConferenceMarina Mandarin, Singapore21 - 24, American Society for Microbiology (ASM)Annual Meeting & Exhibition - New Orleans, LA30 - 31, Interphex Asia 2011Suntec, Singapore
JULY 201115, SHE (Safety, Health & Environment) DayNUS (National University of Singapore)16 - 17, SPC 21st Singapore Pharmacy CongressSheraton Towers, Singapore
OCTOBER 201115 - 19, American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Annual Meeting & Expo - Orlando, FLOct 28 - Nov 2, American Biological Safety Association (ABSA) Annual Meeting & Exhibition - Anaheim, CA
