CENTER VALLEY, Pa., January 9, 2013 – With the upcoming retirement of the top executives of Hitschfel Instruments, Inc., St. Louis, Mo., Olympus will begin selling biomedical and industrial microscopes and imaging instruments directly in central and southern Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and metropolitan Memphis, Tenn., effective February 1. Hitschfel has been an Olympus authorized dealer in the region for 23 years.
Sales, service and training functions are already being transitioned to Olympus to help ensure that the change isseamless for customers. Most Olympus microscope users in the region may notnotice any overt change, as many will continue to be served by the same microscope sales representatives, who will now become Olympus employees. Moreover, Olympus plans to honor any committed orders from Hitschfel’s customers for Olympus equipment at the time of the changeover.
“Our goal is to make this change a win-win for everyone who has been served by Hitschfel. As the largest microscope dealer in this important region in the heartland of America, Hitschfel Instruments has been a valued partner over many years of success,” said Hidenao Tsuchiya, President of Olympus Corporation of the Americas andhead of the Scientific Equipment Group at Olympus America Inc. “We look forward to bringing expanded Olympus sales and service capabilities to these important customers, with excellent products, technical support and training. We wish the Hitschfels all good things as they move forward.”
Both President Günter Hitschfel and Vice President Gabi Hitschfel are retiring. “Gabi and I want to express our appreciation to our employees, our customers and Olympus for giving us the opportunity to work with them and to build a business devoted to service and excellence,” said Günter Hitschfel. “Our customers work in the crucial research, clinical and manufacturing sectors and we have been proud to have had the opportunity to contribute to their success. Now we have decided it is time for us to travel, relax and enjoy life.”
Olympus microscopes are widely used in neuroscience, cell biology and other high-end research applications, along with the pathology, clinical laboratory, educational, semiconductor, metrology, product inspection and engineering fields. To ensure that microscope users throughout the U.S. receive the highest-quality knowledge, products and service, Olympus offers a combination of direct and dealer sales, depending on the region.
For more information, contact Richard Baucom, Executive Director of Sales, Olympus Scientific Equipment Group at (484) 896-5061, or email [email protected].
About Olympus America Inc., Scientific Equipment Group
Olympus America Inc., Scientific Equipment Group provides innovative microscope imaging solutions for researchers, doctors, clinicians, engineers and educators. Olympus bioscience microscope systems offer unsurpassed optics, superior construction and system versatility to meet the ever-changing needs of microscopists, paving the way for future advances inlife science. Olympus industrial microscopes and metrology systems play a leading role in precision R&D, engineering and manufacturing applications in fields as diverse as aerospace, the automotive industry, electronics, materials science/metallurgy, medical devices, photovoltaics and semiconductors.
About Olympus
Olympus is a precision technology leader, designing and delivering innovative solutions in its core business areas: Medical and Surgical Products, Life Science Imaging Systems, Industrial Measurement and Imaging Instruments and Cameras and Audio Products.
Olympus works collaboratively with its customers and affiliates worldwide to leverage R&D investment in precision technology and manufacturing processes across diverse business lines. These include:
- Gastrointestinal endoscopes, accessories, and minimally invasive surgical products;
- Advanced research, clinical and educational microscopes and research and educational digital imaging systems;
- Industrial research,engineering, test, inspection and measuring instruments; and
- Digital cameras and voice recorders.
Olympus serves the healthcare field with integrated product solutions and financial, educational and consulting services that help customers to efficiently, reliably and more easily achieve exceptional results. Olympus develops breakthrough technologies with revolutionary product design and functionality for the consumer and professional photography markets, and also is the leader in gastrointestinal endoscopy and clinical and educational microscopes. For more information, visit www.olympusamerica.com.