When James Kozairz joined Rubicon Genomics as its president & CEO in 2008 it was a fledgling life sciences startup with a small staff of four people in need of some veteran leadership.
Today, the Ann Arbor-based company is watching its sales spike and its staff has grown to 25 employees. It is currently looking for interns and more employees.
"Our 2014 plan calls for us to add nine more employees," Koziarz says.
Rubicon Genomics got its start when a pair of University of Michigan professors began working to find a way to bring human genetics laboratory knowledge to everyday medical applications. It's making that happen by developing and selling sample-specific nucleic acid library preparation products used in research and clinical testing. These molecular biology tools help facilitate gene-based research, drug development and diagnostics.
Sales of Rubicon Genomics' nucleic acid library preparation products,
ThruPLEX®-FD Prep Kits and
PicoPLEX™ WGA Kits, spiked 85 percent in 2013. Part of the credit goes toward the startup’s innovative new technologies and another part go toward the healthcare industry's shift to using more genetic testing.
"It's kind of being in the right place at the right time with the right technology," Koziarz says.
He adds that Rubicon Genomics has signed a lease to move to a bigger facility on the south side of Ann Arbor later this year. The new space will help accommodate the company's growth by providing more room for new employees, research and development space, and an area to manufacture its kits.
Source: James Koziarz, president & CEO of Rubicon Genomics
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
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