“This new venture will bring focus and coordination to the many Nordson technologies that can contribute to the manufacture of products for this burgeoning market,” said Edward P. Campbell, president and chief executive officer. “By finding ways to adapt existing technologies and by developing new ones, we expect to help drive growth in this very exciting and rapidly expanding area.”

The venture will report to a board comprised of Nordson executive officers, including Campbell as its chairman. Others on the board are Peter S. Hellman, executive vice president, chief financial and administrative officer; Donald J. McLane, senior vice president; and Robert A. Dunn, Jr. and Mark G. Gacka, vice presidents.

Campbell said Nordson’s emphasis will be on the pharmaceuticals industry, the medical and genetic research industry, and companies involved in the manufacture of medical instruments and medical supplies and disposables. The biotech and medical device markets are estimated at nearly $100 billion in the United States alone.

“The launch of our new venture will make sales to life science industries a major priority that will spur the development of products designed specifically for the unique requirements of these high-technology markets,” Campbell added. “We will focus considerable energies on identifying market segments where Nordson technology can add value to make processes more efficient and cost-effective.”

Potential applications, he said, include fluid and powder dispensing and “hyper” surface cleaning systems developed by Nordson and its high-technology subsidiaries, which include Asymtek, March Plasma Systems and EFD, Inc.

“Nordson has already been quite successful in serving companies and research institutions in these industries, with sales of approximately $20 million annually,” said Campbell. “With the benefit of an aggressive and well-coordinated, companywide effort, I believe that our sales to the life sciences industries could easily grow to be many times the current level.”

The Life Sciences Venture will be co-led by William Donges, formerly Nordson’s marketing manager for conformal coatings for the electronics industry, and Keith Logan, formerly marketing manager for liquid finishing systems.

Bill R. Sanford, chairman of the board of Cleveland-based BioEnterprise Corporation, said, “Nordson’s Life Sciences Venture is exactly the type of commitment that will enable emerging bioscience companies to benefit from the tremendous wealth of ideas and technologies that already exist among more mature companies. We look forward to the synergies that are sure to result.” BioEnterprise Corporation is a joint venture of Case Western Reserve University, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and University Hospitals of Cleveland to accelerate the growth of the biosciences industry in Northeast Ohio.

Nordson Corporation is the world’s leading producer of precision dispensing equipment to apply adhesives, sealants and coatings to a broad range of consumer and industrial products during manufacturing operations, helping customers meet quality, productivity and environmental targets. The company also manufactures technology-based systems for curing and surface treatment processes. Headquartered in Westlake, Ohio, Nordson has direct operations in 31 countries.

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For further information contact:

March Plasma Systems (International Headquarters)
Peter Bierhuis
March Plasma Systems, Inc.
4057 Port Chicago Highway
Concord, CA, USA 94520-1122

TEL: 925 827 1240
FAX: 925 827 1189

E-mail: info@marchplasma.com
Web: http://www.marchplasma.com