Integra Biosciences AG is one of the leading international suppliers of high-quality laboratory equipment for dosing liquids. The global life science market offers enormous opportunities, and the company has experienced correspondingly strong growth in recent years. CEO Elmar Morscher summarizes the development as follows: “Ten years ago, nobody knew us; today, our competitors take us seriously with growth rates of between 20 and 30 percent.”
Integra Biosciences – at home in Zizers, offices in three continents
Founded 1965 in Zurich as a trading company for laboratory equipment, the firm has been headquartered in Zizers since 2009. In addition, it has offices in the USA, France, Germany, Great Britain and China. The company has a total of 220 employees, 105 of whom work in Zizers. Integra Biosciences AG produces in the USA and Switzerland.
Integra Biosciences belongs to the Integra Holding, a Swiss financial holding company with interests in companies with different market orientations. In addition to life science, its portfolio also includes real estate, companies in the fields of flow and energy measurement technology, traffic engineering, metalworking and electrical engineering.
The widest range of pipettes in the world
The life science industry would not exist without the ability to precisely transfer liquids. Integra Biosciences develops laboratory equipment that meets high standards and enables efficient pipetting and sterilization of liquids. Integra Biosciences products are used in countless research laboratories in the life science industry and enjoy a first-class reputation thanks to their unique functionality and quality. Integra Biosicences now offers the widest range of electronic pipettes in the world.
Cautious market entry in China
The company entered the Chinese market around 12 years ago. The goal was to offer the same products to international groups operating there, such as Roche, Bayer and Novartis and the local research community, as the company does in Europe and the United States. “We first wanted to get a feel for the market and started working with an agent. However, we realized very quickly that one partner is far from enough for a market like China,” says Morscher, looking back to the beginning.
Valuable cooperation
This is how the cooperation with S-GE came about. “To be successful in China, you need relationships. This is true in many places, but it’s especially true in China. We benefited enormously from Switzerland Global Enterprise’s large network and experience in China,” praises Morscher. S-GE Country Consultant for China, Daniel Bont, was able to place someone from his personal network with the Zizers company for sales management in China. And the result is convincing. The sales manager has been working for Integra Biosciences to the complete satisfaction of the company management since April 2017.
Integra Biosciences now employs four salespeople and one service technician in China. Since September 2018, the company has also had its own office in the country. CEO Morscher: “If you want to do business in China, you have to know the language and the culture. In order to overcome this hurdle, it is necessary to work together with a trusted representative. We found this representative in the form of our sales manager, thanks to the valuable help of S-GE.”