The New DRG^® Building Addition In Marburg

DRG invests in the future of Marburg firm

The expenses of the annex as well as new equipment and their development amount to 4.5 million Euro

By Michael Acker

Marburg’s DRG Instruments GmbH has enlarged its company’s facility in the Frauenbergstrasse in the southern area of this University City.

The firm invested approximately 4.5 million Euros in the annex, and new equipment as well as their development.

DRG’s first new construction in Germany now has additional floor space of approximately 730 square meters.  The completed structure is annexed to the already existing building.

DRG Instruments GmbH in Marburg is the German subsidiary of DRG International, Inc. in USA.  The enterprise was founded in 1973 by the owner and President, Dr. Cyril Geacintov.

DRG in Marburg employs 45 staff members today, whose main function is the development, production and the worldwide marketing of new and innovative ELISA test systems.

The liquid test components for blood tests are developed, produced, filled into reagent carriers with special filling equipment, sealed and then invoiced, all in Marburg.

ELISA (Enzyme Linked Immuno-abSorbent Assay) is an immunological detection method, based on an enzymatic color reaction with which antigens or antibodies can be determined in the blood.

“Until now, we produced only ELISAs here in Marburg; we needed the annex for the production of accessories for a newly developed analyzer and therefore secure our company for the future”, explained Managing Director Wilhelm Saenger.

Company to hire more employees next year

DRG Instruments GmbH developed innovative Laboratory-Automat DRG HYBRiD.XL Analyzer

According to Saenger, the DRG HYBRiD.XL Analyzer offers for the first time the possibility for smaller and medium sized laboratories, as well as for large laboratories, to simultaneously process immunoassays and clinical-chemistry parameters from patient’s specimen.  Up to 40 different tests of up to 20 patient’s specimen can be completed.

But, the equipment is also flexible enough to complete 40 different tests from one specimen or one or two tests each from 20 specimens.  “Worldwide, this was never possible until now.  Therefore, we applied for a European patent for this measuring technique”, remarked Saenger, full of pride.

The laboratory-automat was built based on ideas of DRG personnel by a company in Schwalbach in the Taunus Mountains.  Approximately 3,000 of these machines are expected to be marketed during the first five years.

The cartridges (plug-in modules for the specimen) for the analyzer will be produced in the German subsidiary of DRG International, in Marburg.

“Because we needed to build totally new machines and needed more space for them, we have decided to build the annex”, explained Authorized Officer, Dr. Bernd Roeder.

A special feature of the new building is the roof garden, from which one has the most beautiful view over Marburg, according to Saenger.

In addition to investing in the annex, DRG Instruments GmbH will also invest in new employees: “We will hire more staff members next year”, as the Managing Director and the Authorized Officer explained during the interview with the Oberhessische Presse.  “This is the only way to cover the production needs for the accessories in the future”.

At this time, the company in Marburg employs a total of 45 staff members.  That makes this subsidiary the largest one of the DRG Group of Companies.

Additional subsidiaries are in China, the Czech Republic, Poland, as well as St. Petersburg and Moscow.  Globally, the DRG-Group employs approximately 120 staff members.

At the conclusion of the 10-month long work process, Wilhelm Saenger and Dr. Bernd Roeder expressed their gratitude to the general building company C+P Breidenbach, the Architectural Bureau of Petra Pfau, as well as “all of the tradespeople participating in the construction of the modern and timely building for their speedy and smooth handling”.

Today, Friday, the new building will be officially dedicated.