Tecan establishes own subsidiaries in Belgium; opens offices in the Netherlands and for Spain and Portugal

Geographical expansion reinforces Tecan’s presence in EU markets

Hombrechtikon/Zurich, Switzerland, October 17, 2000 – TECAN, the leading global provider of laboratory automation systems for the life sciences industry, today announced the establishment of it’s own subsidiary in Belgium following the takeover of its former distributor Sercolab Systems B.V.B.A.  At the same time, Tecan announced that it has opened a representation office for Spain and Portugal in Barcelona and will be opening a sales and service office in the Netherlands before the end of the year.

“The establishment of a fully owned subsidiary in Belgium as well as the opening of offices for Spain and Portugal and in the Netherlands is a key element of Tecan's strong presence in EU countries,” said Emile Sutcliffe, CEO of the TECAN Group. “We are very pleased that these important markets are now integrated in Tecan's network and participate fully in our expansion program aiming at bringing our leading products efficiently and directly to markets across the world. By doing so, we are looking forward to cooperating closely with the healthcare professionals and researchers in these countries", Mr Sutcliffe added.

In the European Union, Tecan already operates subsidiaries in Austria, France, Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom.