Path to the 50th Anniversary of Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, Shimadzu’s Group Company in the United States

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Shimadzu Scientific Instruments (SSI), which coordinates Shimadzu’s analytical and measuring instruments business in the United States.

The North America region includes a concentration of many academic institutions and corporate research and manufacturing facilities with particular strengths in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology fields. Therefore, SSI has been steadily building a foundation of trust in advanced research facilities, based on diligently addressing each of their needs. This article describes SSI’s journey over the past half-century.

SSI head office when established

 

Taking on the North American Market Starting with Five Employees

SSI was established in 1975 for the purpose of expanding sales channels for physics and chemistry instruments in the United States market. The location of the head office in Columbia, Maryland, is close to Washington D.C., where there is a high concentration of government agencies, and offers the convenience of an excellent logistics network. SSI was established with only five employees, including two people hired locally. It started with a small first step.

Though SSI began as a sales office, its scope soon expanded to include manufacturing and customer support. In 1983, SSI started manufacturing analytical and measuring instruments in a new building. In 1994, it opened a customer training center for the purpose of expanding customer support capabilities. Later, manufacturing functions were transferred to a separate group company, Shimadzu U.S.A. Manufacturing Inc., and SSI specialized in sales and service functions. Currently, SSI offers customer-centered sales and services from ten regional offices throughout the United States.

In 1983, local production started in a new building

From a Sales Office to a Globally Leading Research Facility

North America is a region actively involved in advanced research. To quickly satisfy the sophisticated needs of customers, it is essential to collaborate with researchers at academic institutions and companies. As business expanded, SSI has also continued to strengthen its research and development capabilities.

In 2014, a Solutions Center was opened to focus efforts on jointly developing technologies and methods for using technologies (applications) based on customer needs. An Innovation Center was opened in 2015 to conduct joint research in food, pharmaceutical, and environmental fields in partnership with academic, government, and corporate organizations.

Furthermore, R&D Centers were established in 2024 for developing products that more closely match local needs. In addition to the R&D Center at the head office in Maryland, an R&D Center was also established on the West Coast (San Francisco suburbs) for the concentration of biotech companies there and on the East Coast (Boston suburbs) for the concentration of academic and pharmaceutical companies there. The centers are intended for quickly developing products based on a more accurate understanding of specific customer needs.

R&D Center established in 2024

Developing Regional Connections and Supporting Education

During its 50-year history, SSI was also able to focus efforts on developing connections within regional communities and supporting education. The program for supporting educational institutions, called Shimadzu Partnership for Academics, Research and Quality of Life (SPARQ,) provides cutting-edge Shimadzu analytical instruments to academic partners. It creates opportunities for student exposure to advanced technologies and supports research activities of companies and organizations within the region. Such initiatives contribute to developing the next generation of human resources and energizing regional communities.

In 2021, SSI partnered with Walsh University in the United States to jointly establish an analytical center

Celebrating 50 Years with Partners

To celebrate the major milestone of reaching the 50th anniversary, we are deploying a variety of plans and events. On May 6 and 7, events were held for employees in conjunction with internal meetings.

The number of employees has grown from 5 when SSI was established to over 570 today

On June 5, a commemorative event was held at the Maryland Science Center. The Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, Aruna Miller, and the Howard County Executive, Calvin Ball, gathered with a large group of partners, employees, and others involved, to share their mutual appreciation and passion for the future.

On the day of the event, Howard County, where SSI is located, designated June 5 as “SSI Day” and issued an official certificate.

The President of SSI, Patrick Fromal commented as follows.