2006.03.28 Excellence Roundtable invitation: Closing Constant Systems

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Mon, 03/20/2006 - 08:56.
03/28/2006 - 11:30
03/28/2006 - 13:30
Etc/GMT-4

Please come together at the Charter One Global Enterprise Center for a very special Excellence Roundtable with a specific purpose - Closing Constant Systems.

For this proactive lunchtime discussion, Constant Systems' Aiden Audouy and Diane Brown will demonstrate their technology and explore with us the factors influencing whether their company will locate valuable business operations in NEO, or Research Triangle. By being at this Roundtable, you can help them determine NEO is the best location in the nation and prove that to their CEO.

For several months, these executives from the $1+ billion British company Score Group (http://www.score-group.com/) have been in Cleveland attempting to make all the connections necessary to locate in Northeast Ohio an expansion of their biotechnology division, Constant Systems (http://www.constantsystems.com/). Community economic development leaders want Constant Systems to locate here, and we're holding this Excellence Roundtable to help make necessary connections.

Constant Systems manufactures a cell disruption device (see their website and comments below for applications). This is used for medical research, as well as analysis and production of complex compounds. Constant Systems is an established global leader in a growing industry, and we will be very fortunate to have some of their global operations here. Further, their parent Score Group provides a variety of engineering services to clients in the Oil and Gas, Power Generation, Defense and Aerospace industries. Score Group makes such large manufactured components as valves and turbines, parts of which may be forged, machined and assembled here.

Score Group and Constant Systems offer local design, engineering, manufacturing, assembly and operations opportunities - exactly the type of business we want here. 

Aiden and Diane are very excited to be in Cleveland, but they need to develop more direct relations with researchers in our healthcare and R&D community. Specifically, Aiden and Diane need to demonstrate to their CEO that from NEO they can access the US medical device market. If Aiden and Diane can thus prove NEO is a good location for their US operations, they may move forward with their expansion here.

As an additional benefit of having Constant Systems here, we become a center of R&D in and around a very special biotechnology - cell disruption. Constant Systems sees ahead very exciting new applications for their technology, which will lead to dramatic market growth that will benefit our community... if we can close Constant Systems!

Be part of the solution. Join us March 28, 2006, for a demonstration of the Constant Systems cell disruption device and to join a NEO economic development case study in its final stage - the close.

This Roundtable is located at 737 Bolivar Road. There is a parking lot next to this building, and there should be ample meter parking in the area, and this is just a short walk from Tower City and much mass transit... great historic restoration setting and space - we'll have lunch catered by Alesci's so there'll be pizza, salad, etc - we'll make sure vegetarians are covered well, too. No charge for lunch.

To attend this roundtable, please contact me immediately at 216-534-1732 or norm [at] realinks [dot] us.

This roundtable is cohosted by REALNEO, the Charter One Global Enterprise Center, the World Trade Center Cleveland, and TeamNEO.

Location

Charter One Global Enterprise Center
737 Bolivar Road Ring intercom for Constant Systems
Cleveland, OH
United States

More about application of technology

This is interesting, from the Constant Systems website at http://www.constantsystems.com/

Examples of cells successfully processed by Constant Systems Ltd are too
numerous to mention them all, but here follows a few examples.

Sample Types
Brief Descriptions

Algae
Disruption of anabaena variablis
   
Animal Cells    
Selective breakage of chicken sperm
   
Bacteria
Good enzyme activity from recombinant e.coli
High protein recovery from mycobacterium smegmatis

Environmental Samples    
Extraction of DNA from soil bacteria
   
Fungi (inc. yeasts)
High specific activity of enzyme from aspergillus nidulans
90% protein release from saccharomyces cerevisiae

Mammalian Cells and Tissue    
Isolation of viable single cells from calf spleen and lymph node
Disruption of cellular and inracellular plasma membranes from horse liver
   
Parasites    
Breakage of cytomegalovirus in nucleus of human cells
Recombinant protein from pichia pastoralis
   
Plant Cells & Tissue    
Pectin extraction from banana fruit
Strawberry leaf DNA extraction
   
Viruses    
Isolation of membrane antigens from toxoplasma gondii
Separation of nucleus and membrane in amniotic cells

Supporting Constant Systems = Brain Gain, Economic Win

 Kudos on another innovative application of the NEOExcellence Roundtable to bring a critical asset to the corporate sector and the whole economic development picture.  We need more cutting-edge global businesses to take stock and take root in our region.  This is a perfect example of leveraging a region's assets to facilitate the attraction and retention of innovative companies like Constant Systems.

Diane and Aidan are great people and its been a pleasure getting to know them.   In  a discussion a few days back I had a chance to learn a bit more about the company's approach thus far.  I'd like to bring some university researchers who would have interest in the cell disruption as well as some representatives from the pharma sector into the mix and will see who I can suggest as additions  to the mix of invitees next Tuesday.

We have a great foundation in biotech and nanotech here in the region and its time to celebrate that to the point that both global innovators and visionary entrepreneurs take notice and take root here in NEO.    Its inevitable and just another piece to the economic development puzzle for our region.   Thanks Norm, for helping us raise the bar.

Get them in touch with Aiden - and to the roundtable!

Excellent, Sudhir. We're in agreement it's worth locking in Constant Systems... NEO's certainly better for having their folks here, so now to maximize the economic development opportunities offered. So connect anyone you know asap - Diane and Aiden can be reached at the World Trade Center Cleveland... and they will present their regional economic development opportunity and technology at the Roundtable next Tuesday. It will be fascinating.

To me, the cool opportunity is making NEO world leader in cell disruption technology innovation, making us world leaders in use of the technology in medical research, leading to more medical breakthroughs here... curing cancer, etc. Constant Systems is the only posibility we have of gaining that competitive advantage, so we should really look at that aspect very seriously... partnering on their technology development, testing, design, research, etc.

Constant Systems on the cover of Crain's Cleveland...

Read all about it... Constant Systems is mentioned in LATENEWS on the cover of Crain's Cleveland Business, today... hope to read more after we close in tomorrow...