Aldevron, the latest technology company to bring operations to the Madison area, could have as many as 20 employees here in a couple of years, said Tom Foti, vice president and general manager of the local operation.
Based in Fargo, N.D., Aldevron was established in 1998 and makes DNA for research and clinical use. The company has 50 employees in Fargo and 15 in Freiburg, Germany, from an acquisition in 2004.
The Madison operation has a staff of six for now, and will focus primarily on making proteins and antibodies, expanding Aldevron's product line, Foti said.
"The idea is to go from niche provider to a global contract service company that can offer a wide range of capabilities," he said.
Aldevron also helps fill a gap in Madison's biotechnology industry. Its six local employees were all with EMD Chemicals, formerly Novagen, which moved its operations to San Diego and closed its Madison branch in September, ending 70 jobs and a 20-year history in Madison.
Aldevron will occupy part of the second floor of EMD's former building, at 441 Charmany Drive in University Research Park. "It's very exciting," Foti said. "We know the facility; we know that it's suitable for the scientific work we want to accomplish."
Aldevron will share space with Exact Sciences, a company working on a test for colorectal cancer that is moving here from the Boston area.
No new occupant has been found yet for the first floor of the former EMD building, Mark Bugher, University Research Park director, said Friday. But he said EMD has a contract to lease the building until 2012.
Aldevron president and chief executive Michael Chambers said he was interested in opening a division in Madison because of its biotechnology hub. "We recognize the strong pool of scientific and business talent in Madison," he said. "We are honored to be part of the growing biotech community in the state of Wisconsin."
Chambers, a Carrington, N.D., native, and Foti, who grew up in Brookfield, both received bachelor's degrees in biotechnology and microbiology from North Dakota State University.
The Madison division, called Aldevron Madison, will be a wholly owned affiliate of the privately owned Aldevron, financed by the headquarters company and North Dakota investors. Aldevron also has applied for tax credits from the state of Wisconsin for equipment purchases and job creation, Foti said.
