Randox woos new customers by hosting workshop in US

Just over 30 people from the Crumlin-based firm - including founder and managing director Dr Peter FitzGerald - are attending the American Association of Clinical Chemistry (AACC) Annual Meeting and Clinical Lab Expo.

A spokeswoman for the firm last night said hundreds of people had visited the Randox stand at the expo in Atlanta, Georgia, for the event's first day yesterday.

"The team have had the opportunity to meet with major US and international customers," she said.

The firm was also hosting a workshop last night to promote its new cardiovascular biomarker test to the international audience.

Its products are already exported to 145 countries - but the spokeswoman said the event was an opportunity "to develop new business and clinical partnerships, as well as to consolidate and strengthen current relationships".

Dr Peter FitzGerald said: "The global laboratory diagnostics market is currently valued at around $55bn, and is growing at 5.3% per year.

"With ambitious plans for growth over the next few years, our company is committed to improving healthcare worldwide through our investment in our people and the world's most revolutionary diagnostic technology.

"Our presence at the AACC annual meeting is fundamental to achieving our strategic aims in promoting our brand, and in strengthening Northern Ireland trade links across the world."

The event continues until Friday at the Georgia World Congress Centre.

Earlier this month the company launched its new 'Randox biosciences' division.

The new unit is dedicated to advancing scientific discovery, drug development and companion diagnostics and follows the merger of the firm's life sciences, pharma sciences, research and molecular sections. Randox was also celebrating a €5m funding boost from Gaeltacht development agency, Údarás na Gaeltachta, for its life science and engineering unit in Dungloe, Co Donegal.

Randox was founded in 1982 by Dr FitzGerald in a chicken shed belonging to his parents.

The company has grown massively and now employs nearly 1,000 people. In its latest report, the company made pre-tax profits of £12.923m.

The firm bought the former army barracks at Massereene in Antrim, which will be its primary manufacturing site.

And it also bought Dundarave House in Bushmills, Co Antrim, and the land surrounding it, for use as a corporate hospitality centre.

The land was to have been the site of the Bushmills Dunes golf resort and spa before the death of owner Dr Alistair Hanna.

This article was originally published on Belfast Telegraph.