Bacterin Graduates from TechRanch Business Incubator Program-Predicting to Create up to 30 Technology-Related Jobs in Montana in the Next Two Years

TechRanch, One of Montana’s high tech business incubators, announced today that client company, Bacterin, http://www.bacterin.com is graduating from TechRanch’s entrepreneurial program. A TechRanch client for just 10 months, Bacterin has grown from 1.5 employees to 7, and plans to maintain an aggressive growth rate as it secures 16,000 square feet of office and lab space in the Gallatin Valley. Bacterin’s new headquarters is located at 600 Cruiser Lane in Belgrade, Montana.

An internationally-known expert in anti-infective coatings for the medical device industry, Bacterin CEO, Guy Cook, explains why Gallatin Valley is ideal for starting a new biotechnology company. “We can assure our employees a quality of lifestyle that you cannot find elsewhere,” said Cook. “Add to that the world-renowned research and development coming out of MSU’s Center for Biofilm Engineering, and we could easily make this valley an epicenter for the growing biofilm industry. As a result, we expect to create 28-30 technology-related jobs in the Gallatin Valley in the next two years.”

(Ed Note: The infection-causing bacteria growing in colonies on medical devices are one form of biofilm.)

Bacterin markets to leading medical equipment manufacturers to provide proprietary coatings and FDA-approved testing for a variety of medical implant devices. The company anticipates that its Belgrade production facility will ramp up quickly to handle orders for millions of medical devices from companies around the world. To do this, Bacterin will seek to fill a range of technology, operational and business positions, including its executive management team, over the next two years. The company hopes to utilize talent from within MSU, the community and the state, offering competitive salaries and a family-friendly work environment.

“Bacterin is more than a success story, we see it as an inspiration to entrepreneurs, business leaders and in particular Montana students and residents,” said John O’Donnell, Executive Director at TechRanch. “This is clearly a model for how we can grow technology companies, reduce brain drain, create high-paying jobs and build a knowledge-based economy in Montana. Congratulations to Bacterin for reaching this important milestone.”

Post graduation, TechRanch will continue to support Bacterin in its efforts to raise investment capital, recruit employees and management team members, and navigate important intellectual property issues and licensing contracts.

Bacterin was founded in 1997 by Cook, an expert in the design and development of anti-infective coatings for the medical device industry. Prior to founding Bacterin, Cook was a specialist for MSU’s prestigious Center for Biofilm Engineering. According to TechRanch, Cook is a model for entrepreneurs, taking full advantage of the incubator’s entrepreneurial support services which include investor and advisor networks, an MSU-affiliated student program, and ready access to intellectual property, finance, legal, accounting and human resource specialists.

“We’ve accomplished many business goals in a fraction of the time it would take independently, something we could not have done without the support and services of TechRanch,” said Cook.

About TechRanch:

TechRanch, a Montana Technology Venture Center business incubator, connects new business ventures and entrepreneurs with a comprehensive network of business advisors, public and private investment channels, and Montana State University’s (MSU) entrepreneurial development programs. Based in Bozeman, Montana, TechRanch provides the necessary support infrastructure to catalyze the entrepreneurial process and help build successful new businesses that enhance the growth of Montana’s economy. More information on TechRanch, a tax-exempt corporation, and the opportunities for business development in the state of Montana can be found online at http://www.techranch.org.

About Bacterin:
Bacterin Incorporated, the biofilm specialist, designs, tests, and licenses bioactive coatings for medical and industrial applications. Industry leaders Johnson & Johnson, Tyco Healthcare, Becton Dickinson, Boston Scientific and Arrow International have used Bacterin’s testing facilities for claim support of anti-infective coatings. Founded in 1997, Bacterin is a spin-off of the Center for Biofilm Engineering, and has been conducting biofilm assays for the world’s largest medical device manufacturers for the past five years. For more information, visit http://www.bacterin.com.

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Bridget Cavanaugh

Cavanaugh Public Relations

ofc: 406.464.7433 | mbl: 406.320.5000