Last week Sigma-Aldrich said – as of January 1 next year - it would realign its businesses by splitting its research unit into two new divisions, applied markets and research markets.
Applied markets will serve the diagnostics, testing and Industrial markets, while the research markets business will “focus on broadening the offering of research products to scientists in life science, academic, government and hospital settings.”
Sigma-Aldrich also said it would rename its custom synthesis and manufacturing arm – SAFC – as SAFC Commercial Markets Business Unit.
SAFC president Gilles Cottier – who will continue to lead the division after the renaming – told Outsourcing-pharma.com the realignment is about streamlining the firm’s interaction with if different customer groups.
“Under the Sigma-Aldrich umbrella we have multiple offerings and multiple brands, approaching multiple markets. We are aligning ourselves with our customers' needs to act as dedicated business units that are specialized in the markets we serve as Sigma-Aldrich, simplifying how we approach and interact with customers in those dedicated markets.”
Cottier also told us that SAFC has no plans to reduce its workforce or divest any of its manufacturing or development facilities as a result of the realignment.
“For SAFC, it is very much a case of business as usual. We continue to be dedicated to solving our customers problems in the markets we serve with our ongoing goal of being recognized as a supplier of choice within those markets.”
The last time SAFC reorganised its operations – in June this year – it combined its chiral screening with its small-scale purification offerings citing customer demand for more complete chemical analysis services as the driver for the move.