Neogen acquires U.K.-based culture media company

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Feb 03, 2020, 08:45 ET

LANSING, Mich., Feb. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Neogen Corporation (NASDAQ: NEOG) announced today that it has acquired the United Kingdom-based Abtek Biologicals Limited — a developer and supplier of culture media supplements and microbiology technologies that increases Neogen's current solutions portfolio.

With the acquisition, Abtek's Liverpool operations will become Neogen's third global microbiology manufacturing facility — joining locations in Lansing, Michigan, and Heywood, England. The acquisition is intended to accelerate the growth of Neogen's global microbiology business. Abtek's operations will be managed through Neogen's European headquarters in Ayr, Scotland.

"We believe the Abtek products are excellent examples of solutions that fit into our food safety business, as well as other areas of industrial microbiology," said Steve Chambers, Neogen's managing director of European operations. "Over the past 12 months we have rebranded our culture media offering under the unified Neogen Culture Media, or NCM, brand. We were already working closely with Abtek as a supplier of complementary products to our NCM offering, and this acquisition creates a full integrated offering for our customers. The coming 12 months will also see further developments as we launch additional ready-to-use and dehydrated culture media solutions bundled with the Abtek solutions. We have retained key personnel to ensure the same level of service and consistency Abtek's customers have come to expect of the Abtek brand."

"The Neogen Culture Media product line features a comprehensive offering of chromogenic media, ready-to-use media in many formats, and both FDA- and ISO-accredited powder formulations, providing the most comprehensive portfolio for industrial microbiology," said Dr. Jason Lilly, Neogen's vice president of international business. "This acquisition is synergistic in supporting our global manufacturing sites, leverages an existing highly trained technical salesforce, and when coupled with Neogen's current rapid microbiology diagnostic solutions, clearly demonstrates Neogen's focus on the importance of food microbiology on a worldwide basis."

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Neogen Corporation develops and markets products dedicated to food and animal safety. The company's Food Safety Division markets dehydrated culture media, and diagnostic test kits to detect foodborne bacteria, natural toxins, food allergens, drug residues, plant diseases and sanitation concerns. Neogen's Animal Safety Division is a leader in the development of animal genomics along with the manufacturing and distribution of a variety of animal healthcare products, including diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, veterinary instruments, wound care and disinfectants.

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SOURCE Neogen Corporation