Products for life science research
Lucigen is a privately held company with 60 employees, based in Middleton and manufacturing over 90 percent of its product portfolio in Middleton. Lucigen discovers, manufactures and commercializes molecular biology products used across the spectrum from basic research to molecular diagnostics, selling to academic, agricultural, government and pharmaceutical researchers around the world. With the help of the ExporTech™ Program—offered by the Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership with support from WEDC—Lucigen created an export growth strategy, and as part of that strategy, hired a full-time international business manager in 2013. Also as part of its export growth strategy, the company has participated in trade ventures with WEDC and the Council of Great Lakes Governors and has engaged the international matchmaking service of the U.S. Commercial Service in Milwaukee. Lucigen won the Governor’s Export Achievement Award in 2017 for its remarkable export growth and its focus on community service.
International sales growth, community reinvestment
Today, Lucigen exports worldwide and has distribution partners in more than 40 countries. The company’s international sales grew from $1 million in 2015 (already an 11 percent increase from the prior year) to $1.4 million in 2016, representing 13 percent of total company revenue; it has set a goal of growing this figure to 25 percent within the next five years.
As Lucigen has grown, it has made a priority of giving back to the local business community—for example, by presenting about lessons learned in exporting—and mentoring local students, participating in career-oriented events with the Madison Metropolitan School District. “By growing revenue in our research division and driving export sales to accelerate this growth, Lucigen is able to fund projects that have a significant impact to the community,” said Glaselyn Miller, director of global sales and distribution.
(May 2017)
