You may not know what a cytometer does, but here's what it means for one Michigan company: jobs, growth, expansion.
Ann Arbor's Accuri Cytometers has just received a state/municipal tax abatement worth $1.4 million, and plans to expand its Scio Township facility, creating 10 new jobs in the coming months and a total of 88 over the next five years, says CEO Jennifer Baird.
Currently the company, which makes flow cytometers, employs about 14.
"We are a state-supported start-up company, and we have reached the point in our development where we are getting ready to launch our initial product, and we've been making decisions of how to manufacture the product," she says. "We've decided to do it in the state of Michigan."
The new hires, Baird said, will be manufacturers and commercial team members to sell the product.
As for the cytometer itself, here's the easy explanation - it's a life sciences research tool, Baird says, that helps researchers understand cell population characteristics and gives information about the protein characteristics of cells.
"It tells about disease process, and helps (researchers) better understand how our bodies work," she says. "What's unique and special about ours is we've taken a tool our competitors have and developed similar performance at a fraction of the cost. And it's easier to use."
Baird says hiring will begin in January.
"We're eager to soak up some of the folks that have lost other jobs but are very talented in the area," she says.
Source: Jennifer Baird, Accuri Cytometer
Writer: Nancy Kaffer
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.