River Falls, Wisconsin
October 2, 2006
BioDiagnostics, Inc.
(BDI), a leader in genetic purity and standard seed testing, is
proud to announce that August 2006 marked the completion of the
company’s tenth successful year in business. BDI began
operations when genetic testing was in its infancy and remains
at the forefront of an industry that continues to evolve. Today,
BDI ranks among the top three seed testing companies nationwide.
Founded on Aug. 1, 1996 by CEO
Quentin Schultz and his wife, Marilyn, BDI has grown from only
three
employees in the basement of the Schultzes’ home, to a 20,000
sq. ft., freestanding facility housing as many as 70 employees
each season. Building on professional industry expertise,
quality testing, and advanced technology, BDI has become a
trusted, full-service provider of seed testing services to a
broad range of clients.
Keeping pace with the seed
industry, BDI has grown from offering its original Isozyme
Electrophoresis testing to
providing a variety of other innovative tests designed and
integrated to meet the needs of the seed industry. In
many respects, BDI set the industry standard in Isozyme
Electrophoresis testing by developing a unique 15-loci
procedure to determine the genetic purity in corn and other
crops. BDI commercialized an isozyme testing service
that was once available to only large seed companies and made it
accessible and affordable for small and midsized firms. “Today
even large companies who used to do in-house testing now use our
services because of the accuracy and high throughput we offer,”
CEO Schultz said.
In the last two decades, genetic
engineering has transformed modern agriculture. Today, DNA
testing is among
the essential services required by the industry. BDI continues
to be at the forefront of innovation, expanding its
DNA testing service to meet the growing needs of agriculture
during a revolutionary period in genetic engineering.
“During my career in the seed
industry, I have witnessed a dramatic transformation from 100
percent conventional genetics in corn, cotton, and soybeans to
almost 80 percent containing transgenic traits,” Schultz said.
“As the industry has advanced, so have we – expanding our
services to include germination and vigor testing, trait testing
for herbicide tolerance and insect resistance, and GMO event
identification/adventitious presence screening using DNA
technology.”
“By combining state-of-the-art
equipment, highly educated and trained staff, and high
throughput capacity, we can quickly and efficiently meet the
current and future testing needs of both plant breeder and
production customers,” says Schultz. BDI has averaged a 40
percent growth rate due to its ability to add vital new services
for the seed industry. A recent example is the expansion of
BDI’s Analytical Chemistry lab to offer high throughput seed
treatment application rate analysis and FAME testing for oil
seeds.
BioDiagnostics also places a
strong emphasis on its role as a good corporate citizen in the
River Falls community.
BDI is a member of the River Falls Chamber of Commerce, and also
sponsors a highly successful team for the
annual Relay for Life, an American Cancer Society fundraiser. In
addition, BDI provides 10 percent of its
available workspace to the local science and technology
incubator, as well as offering more than two dozen jobs
each year for students at the University of Wisconsin-River
Falls.
BioDiagnostics, Inc. (BDI) is the
chosen partner and trusted authority for the agricultural seed
industry. With its
thorough perspective of the biotech landscape and a keen
awareness of current industry challenges, BDI helps
clients determine ‘best practices’ in seed production. BDI
offers excellence and expertise in seed testing, combining a
full line of genetic purity and germination tests with
state-of-the-art instrumentation throughout its facility located
in River Falls, Wisconsin. |