industrial microbiology

Strategic Consulting Expands to Meet Needs of Industrial Diagnostics Market

Posted in: Blog, In the News, Press Releases by Bob Ferguson | Comments Off on Strategic Consulting Expands to Meet Needs of Industrial Diagnostics Market Friday, July 29, 2016

Strategic Consulting, Inc., has added Robert J. Ferguson as Managing Director as it continues to expand to meet the growing demand for market intelligence and business strategy in the industrial diagnostics market.

Strategic Consulting, Inc. (SCI), the leading knowledge resource for business strategy and market intelligence in the industrial diagnostics industry, announced in advance of the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) Annual Meeting that Robert J. Ferguson has joined the company as Managing Director. Founded in 1996 by President, Tom Weschler, Strategic Consulting focuses on microbiology-based, quality and safety testing in the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and personal care product industries, and in environmental and industrial process water.

“In our 20-year history, we’ve seen tremendous growth and change in the industrial diagnostics industry, particularly in the food safety sector,” Mr. Weschler said. “With Bob Ferguson’s expertise in all aspects of the market, plus extensive experience in business management, strategy development and international business, SCI will be expanding its services and offering our clients an even deeper skill set and knowledge base.”

Market research is vital to the development of the industrial market, and continues to be in demand. In 2017, we anticipate delivery of new editions of our report on Microbiology Testing in the Global Food Industry as well as the Food Contract Lab Report.

With more than 30 years in industrial and environmental diagnostics and laboratory businesses, Mr. Ferguson has expertise in accelerating growth, international business development, business turnarounds, M&A, and new product development in businesses ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500 corporations. Prior to joining SCI, Mr. Ferguson was Worldwide Vice President and General Manager for Becton Dickinson’s (BD) Industrial Microbiology and Clinical Media Business Unit; a $350M global business serving the clinical and industrial diagnostic markets in food safety, pharmaceutical, personal care and medical devices, with customers in more than 100 countries around the world.

Ferguson, Managing Director, Strategic Consulting, SCI

Robert J. Ferguson, Managing Director

“Having worked with Tom and Strategic Consulting for many years, I am well aware of SCI’s reputation as the leading market knowledge and strategy resource for industrial diagnostics, “Ferguson said. “I’m pleased to be joining SCI, and I look forward to contributing to and building on its outstanding work.”

In its 20-year history, SCI has built a reputation as the “go to” source in the industrial diagnostics space, in part through its 19 well-researched market reports, which are widely accepted by leading diagnostic manufacturers and investors as highly credible analyses of the industry. “SCI market reports having been developed through literally thousands of interviews with production companies worldwide in the food, pharmaceuticals and personal care industries,” Mr. Weschler said.

“Market research is vital to the development of the industrial market, and continues to be in demand,” Ferguson said. “In 2017, we anticipate delivery of new editions of our report on Microbiology Testing in the Global Food Industry as well as the Food Contract Lab Report.”

IMMR—4 is currently available online at www.strategic-consult.com, and a new edition of “Global Review of Microbiology Testing in the Industrial Market”(IMMR-5) will follow Food Micro—9 and FCLR—2, Mr. Ferguson said. SCI also will be expanding its capabilities to provide market research projects specific to individual client requirements.

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Strategic Consulting, Inc. (SCI) provides market reports and business consulting on microbiology-based quality and safety testing for food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, environmental water and industrial-process water. With more than 100 combined years of international management in the food safety testing and industrial diagnostics marketplaces, SCI’s principals have proven success in working with venture capital backed start-ups, publicly traded companies, technology acquisitions, and transformation of underachieving companies. For more information on Strategic Consulting and its current market reports, visit www.strategic-consult.com or call +1 443 244 5245.

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Faster, Better, Cheaper… What’s Most Important in a Pathogen Test?

Posted in: Blog, Food Safety, Market Insights by Bob Ferguson | Comments Off on Faster, Better, Cheaper… What’s Most Important in a Pathogen Test? Tuesday, December 2, 2014

SCI interviewed major food companies and food contract labs to determine what’s most important when choosing a pathogen test method.

For close to 20 years, Strategic Consulting (SCI) has been following the industrial microbiology market, and food safety testing applications in particular. As part of the data gathering for our most recent report, Industrial Microbiology Market Review, SCI interviewed 15 senior managers at major food companies and food contract labs (FCLs) to understand their priorities when choosing a pathogen diagnostic method. The interviews were roughly split between food companies and food contract labs.

SCI identified ten important attributes for evaluating a diagnostic method or instrument, and asked the interviewees to stack rank the top five items most important to them.

pathogen test, diagnostic methodThe three top-ranked choices were the same at both food companies and FCLs, with sensitivity/specificity the most important attribute. Second in importance was the ability of the method to be utilized in a broad range of food matrices. Ranking third was the cost-per-test for diagnostic reagents.

For food companies, time-to-results (TTR) was tied for third in the stack ranking, followed by ease-of-use (EOU)/automation in fifth place. Clearly food companies want quick results but only after they are assured that the pathogen diagnostic they are using provides accurate results and is able to work with a range of food types.

For food contract labs, the cost of the pathogen diagnostic instrument ranks fourth, and TTR is tied with the cost of labor per test for fifth. For FCLs, most of the key attributes in method selection are based on operational considerations, which makes perfect sense given testing is their business.

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Insight into the $6.5 Billion Global Industrial Microbiology Market

Posted in: Blog, Food Safety, Market Insights, Pharma & PCP, Press Releases by Bob Ferguson | Comments Off on Insight into the $6.5 Billion Global Industrial Microbiology Market Wednesday, November 5, 2014

New research from Strategic Consulting, Inc. details microbiology testing conducted by companies around the world to ensure the quality and safety of products in the food, beverage, pharmaceutical and personal care markets, and in environmental water and industrial processes.

Strategic Consulting, Inc., the leading information resource for industrial diagnostics companies, has published a comprehensive new market report on microbiology testing in the global industrial market. “Industrial Microbiology Market Review, Fourth Edition: Global Review of Microbiology Testing in the Industrial Market” (IMMR—4) tracks and compares past, current and future (projected) microbiology test volumes, market values and test methods for six sectors of the industrial market (Food, Beverage, Pharmaceutical, Personal Care Products, Environmental Water and Industrial Processes) in North America, Europe, Asia and the rest of the world (ROW).

industrial microbiology, market research, safety, quality

The industrial microbiology market is large and growing, the second largest diagnostics market after clinical diagnostics in test volume and market value. More than 90,000 industrial plants worldwide conduct close to 2 billion tests each year, which represents a market value of $6.5 billion. Because the demand for consumer products is growing as the world’s population grows, increases in product quality and safety testing appear to continue undaunted by current worldwide economic problems.

The global industrial market is complex, however, with varying testing requirements and regulations resulting in variations in growth across market sectors and geographies. According to Tom Weschler, president of Strategic Consulting, the rate of growth in the broader market is slowing when compared to previous years. “Numerous drivers for industrial testing, such as public and regulatory concern about product safety, continue to offer pockets of opportunity, but not in all areas. One example is rapid microbiology methods, which have seen significant adoption in certain sectors and geographies, and little or no uptake in others,” Weschler said.

Numerous drivers for industrial testing, such as public and regulatory concern about product safety, continue to offer pockets of opportunity, but not in all areas.

Industrial Microbiology Market Review (IMMR-4) provides detailed analysis and insights into the complexities of this market, including:

  • Past, current and projected test volumes and market values, with breakdowns by market sector, geographic regions, test methods and organisms tested.
  • In-depth views of the six market sectors, including market trends and drivers within each sector.
  • Test methods and technologies, from “traditional” to newer, rapid methods such as immunoassay and molecular methods.
  • Organisms of interest in “routine” microbiology testing including TVO, Coliform/E. coli and Yeast/Mold, as well as testing for specific pathogens.
  • Detailed business reviews, including profiles of 20 leading diagnostic companies such as bioMérieux, Neogen and Merck Millipore.

For many diagnostic companies, industrial microbiology is one piece of a larger diagnostics portfolio. As a result, market metrics can be difficult to ascertain. IMMR-4 fills this gap, and provides more than 200 pages of detailed discussion and 150 charts and diagrams. Importantly, these data and insights are based on extensive primary research into all aspects of the industrial microbiology market, including:

  • Detailed interviews with 650 production plants conducted in 23 countries in North America, Europe and Asia/ROW
  • 200 interviews in six countries of Asia (China, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand)
  • Discussions with key opinion leaders, regulators and senior management at contract testing labs and diagnostic companies.

IMMR-4 offers five additional appendices with further detail on Organisms and Methods, the Food, Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Product sectors, and a completely new Review of Microbial Identification practices and technologies in the industrial market.

For more information about “Industrial Microbiology Market Review, Fourth Edition: Global Review of Microbiology Testing in the Industrial Market” (IMMR—4) download a prospectus or contact Strategic Consulting.

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2 Billion Industrial Microbiology Tests Conducted for Product Quality and Safety Worldwide

Posted in: Food Safety, Market Insights, Pharma & PCP, Press Releases by Bob Ferguson | Comments Off on 2 Billion Industrial Microbiology Tests Conducted for Product Quality and Safety Worldwide Thursday, August 28, 2014

New market research from Strategic Consulting, Inc. reports on the industrial microbiology testing conducted by companies worldwide to ensure safe and wholesome products that meet label claims.

“Industrial Microbiology Market Review, Fourth Edition” is based on primary research with more than 650 production facilities in 23 countries in North America, Europe and Asia, including China and India.

Woodstock, Vt. — A new market research report detailing industrial microbiology testing around the world is available from Strategic Consulting, Inc., the leading information resource for industrial diagnostics companies. “Industrial Microbiology Market Review, Fourth Edition: Global Review of Microbiology Testing in the Industrial Market” (IMMR—4) tracks and compares microbiology test volumes, market values and methods used in in North America, Europe and Asia, and forecasts future volumes and market values through to 2019.

According to IMMR—4, industrial microbiology test volume will reach 2 billion tests in 2014, an increase of 500 million tests per year since last surveyed in 2008.

IMMR—4 is based on primary research with the quality assurance managers of production facilities in the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care products / cosmetics (including nutraceuticals), environmental water, and industrial processes sectors. Strategic Consulting conducted more than 650 detailed interviews in 23 countries around the world. Close to one-third of the interviews were conducted in six countries of Asia (China, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam) due to the region’s economic importance, in both production and consumption, in the industrial market sectors.

Close to 1/3 of the interviews were conducted in Asia due to the region’s economic importance in the industrial market sectors.

IMMR—4 details testing practices and methods used by geographic regions (North America, Europe and Asia/ROW-Rest of the World) for each business sector. Differences in the test method used, the organisms tested, and the frequency of testing is reviewed.

Rapid Micro Methods Taking Market Share

industrial microbiology, test volume, IMMR-4, rapid micro methods

According to Tom Weschler, president of Strategic Consulting and lead author of IMMR—4, newer, rapid microbiological methods (RMMs) are growing and taking market share in the industrial market. “Rapid micro methods will account for more than 50% of test volume growth in 2014,” Weschler said. Adoption of RMMs varies by business sector and geographic region, however, in some cases significantly, Weschler added. For example, in China use of rapid micro methods in the food sector is minimal, while the use of RMMs in the personal care products and pharmaceutical sectors is more prevalent.

Industrial Microbiology Market Review, Fourth Edition includes a thorough review of the pharmaceutical and personal care product sectors, and new coverage of microbiology testing in the fast growing nutraceuticals market.

Rapid micro methods will account for more than 50% of test volume growth in 2014.

IMMR—4 offers a detailed business review of the leading diagnostic companies serving the industrial market, including revenues, sectors covered and products/technologies offered. “While there are no dominant competitors that cross all business sectors, leading companies are emerging in certain areas,” Weschler said. In addition, IMMR—4 profiles 20 competitors in the industrial market including bioMerieux, Merck Millipore, DuPont, 3M, Bio-Rad and Neogen.

IMMR—4 is based on detailed interviews conducted by Strategic Consulting and integrated into its database of industrial microbiology diagnostics trends and practices, which has been published in 19 market research reports over the last 18 years. Delivering both extensive new data and a detailed historical perspective, Strategic Consulting market research reports are widely accepted by leading diagnostic manufacturers and investors as highly credible analyses of the industry.

For more information about “Industrial Microbiology Market Review, Fourth Edition: Global Review of Microbiology Testing in the Industrial Market” (IMMR—4), contact Strategic Consulting.

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