Date: Jan 23, 2010 Source: The Montana Standard (
click here to go to the source)
Larry Farrar, president of the Uptown research and development corporation, said growth continued at Resodyn even at a time when most industries were struggling.
"Business is good," he said. "We've found some profitable niches." The company added six new employees in the last year to reach a total of about 30 working in Butte. Its growth was propelled largely by a sales increase in its acoustic mixer division.
The mixer, called the LabRAM, went to market in 2008 and its smallest model carries a price tag of $30,000. Larger models can sell for more than $250,000.
Manufactured at Resodyn's Granite Street facility, the mixers use sound wave technology to combine complex materials — everything from liquids to powders. Farrar said the mixers have been sold to pharmaceutical, cosmetic, ceramic and aerospace companies in Asia, Europe and North America. They are looking to expand into other industries, such as batteries.
The company partnered with Applikon, a Dutch biotechnology company that specializes in marketing and sales, a partnership that proved profitable to both entities.
"They have the name," Farrar said. "That allowed us to extend our reach." But Resodyn doesn't have all its eggs in the rapidly expanding acoustic mixture basket.
In its biotechnology division, engineers and scientists are working to develop a portable biosensor. Not much bigger than a VHS tape, the sensor can detect minute particles — if it knows what it is searching for.
It could, possibly, be used to test for the presence, however minute, of dangerous substances. It could also be used to test, almost immediately, viruses or for bacteria such as strep throat.
Another chemical Resodyn is testing, which has the U.S. Army very interested, is a coagulant that can be placed on a wound to help stop bleeding.
The year 2009 also included other work for the U.S. military, as well as for state and federal agencies. The company has secured millions of dollars from Small Business Innovation Research and other grant programs. Farrar said the company uses those funds to study high-risk projects that normally wouldn't get attempted with in-house money.
The company, which also operates out of three floors in the Thornton Building, has invested heavily in infrastructure and technology at their facilities.
A cell research center in the building's basement boasts millions of dollars in high-tech equipment.
Various lab rooms where engineers test and tinker with products are state-of-the-art.
That leaves Farrar feeling pretty good about his company going into 2010.
"We expect more growth," he said. "We want to continue to be aggressive in research, we want to hire a few more people, and we want to continue to develop our products."
