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January 2010 |
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Bioanalytical Company Plans for Growth in Shawnee After Local Buyout From National Company
Kansas is home to a strong concentration of companies that develop, validate, and implement testing methods on biological samples from pharmaceutical studies. And with a recent acquisition by Kansas Venture Capital, Inc. (KVCI), a long-time area bioanalytical company now will keep Kansas as its home for years to come. Last month, KVCI acquired the former AAIPharma bioanalytical division from ZeeCRO. The venture capital firm plans to use its experience in developing entrepreneurial companies to grow this bioanalytical business into a best-in-class provider for both the pharmaceutical and life sciences sectors. The new company is named KCAS and will retain its location in Shawnee. KVCI partnered with other local investors to acquire the business. The Kansas Bioscience Authority provided strategic guidance and will retain an advisory role. The original KCAS was founded in 1979 by William Mason, Ph.D., and Robert Lanman, Ph.D., and this acquisition turns the lab back into an independent entity in the Kansas City community. “In addition to providing access to significant capital resources, the combined KVCI and KBA effort offers extensive pharmaceutical expertise that will benefit our customers, employees and shareholders as we continue to bring the highest levels of quality and innovation to the marketplace,” said Michael Lanman, son of one of the original KCAS founders and a 25-year veteran of the lab. Lanman will continue to serve as the company’s lead operations executive.
