NOWDiagnostics of Springdale expects to hire as many as 12 new employees in the coming year, the company said Tuesday.
NOWDiagnostics makes one-step medical diagnosis devices that can generate lab-quality results in minutes. On Tuesday, it announced through a news release that the devices’ plastic casings would be assembled by PolyTech Plastic Molding in Prairie Grove — a task previously performed in China.
CEO Kevin Clark told Arkansas Business in November he was happy to have production in Prairie Grove because of the logistics involved. NOWDiagnostics had been buying components from China for 12 cents apiece, but the process was complicated by irregular delivery and inconsistent quality.
Clark said about 30 percent of shipments were rejected and returns were obviously problematic. PolyTech charges 19 cents for the product’s housing, but the higher price is worth having the ability to get more consistent delivery and quality, Clark said.
The plastic is made in Osceola.
NOWDiagnostics has 36 products in its ADEXUSDx line in various stages of development for detecting ailments ranging from heart attacks to sexually transmitted diseases. In August, the company received FDA approval for a pregnancy test for use in clinics and hospitals in the United Staes, and it has five other tests approved for use in Europe.
NOWDiagnostics has 18 employees, but Clark said it will add workers when full production kicks in. In October, it hired a full-time CFO, director of sales and director of finance.
“When we need to do a batch, everybody pitches in,” Clark said. “When we get to full manufacturing and sales ramp up, we’ll have to start bringing in those workers. If this thing really takes off and we get to the OTC market, we’ll need 75 or so employees.”
NOWDiagnostics raised $10 million in funding in 2015, part of which it used to purchase ZBx Crop. of Toronto, which developed the technology used in the tests. That acquisition would allow his company to control the scope and pace of product development.
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