HOLLISTER-STIER LABORATORIES LLC

Location: Spokane

Website: www.hollisterstier.com

Founded: 1921

Key Innovation: Hollister-Stier is the only contract manufacturer of sterile injectables in the Pacific Northwest. The company's capabilities include sterile filling and processing of liquid and freeze-dried drug products into vials and syringes to support the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries. The company is also a leading manufacturer of allergenic extracts, targeted primarily at treating allergies and asthma.

Key People: President and CEO Anthony Bonanzino has been with Hollister-Stier for almost 30 years. He was transferred to the Spokane site (then owned by Bayer) as director of operations in 1991 and became CEO in 1999. In June, he completed the sale of Hollister- Stier to India-based Jubilant Organosys Ltd., one of the largest custom research and manufacturing services and drug discovery and development services companies.

Measure of Success: Hollister-Stier has experienced a compound annual growth rate greater than 40 percent since 2003 and, as a result, is seeing significant increases in both personnel and infrastructure. During 2006, Hollister-Stier recorded operating profit of $10.9 million on revenues of $55 million. "It's pretty simple; we treat our customers with the quality they expect and the service they deserve," says Bonanzino.

Employees: 500 What's Next: As a result of the $122 million acquisition by Jubilant Organosys, Hollister- Stier will be able to provide everything from the development of a molecule to drug commercialization. Hollister-Stier is in the midst of a $30 million project to double laboratory space and add a second high-speed filling line capable of processing 400 vials per minute. The company also projects increasing personnel by about 40 percent over the next three years.

MATRICAL INC.

Location: Spokane

Website: www.matrical.com

Founded: 2000

Key Innovation: Innovative lab instruments and consumables that add efficiency and increase productivity in the life science research field. The company's patented microwell plates and storage systems provide flexible solutions for sample management. Its SonicMan sonicator uses high-energy sound waves to speed the mixing of compounds and extraction of target proteins, RNA/DNA and DNA sizing. MatriCal's latest development is an automated cell culture system that provides a reliable and cost-effective solution for the uniform supply of cells and proteins.

Key People: CEO and co-founder Dan Roark is an experienced entrepreneur with 20 years of experience in the life sciences market. Roark has a B.S. in chemical engineering from Washington State University and was formerly a general manager at PerkinElmer Life Sciences. President and co-founder Kevin Oldenburg has a doctorate in chemistry and biochemistry from UCLA. He was a postdoctoral fellow at Affymax and later became director of biomolecular screening at DuPont Pharmaceuticals.

Measure of Success: MatriCal is helping research institutes and major health care companies, including Merck and Johnson & Johnson, to advance drug discovery research for diseases such as juvenile diabetes, Alzheimer's and breast cancer. "A good measure of success to me is getting a call from somebody in the industry interested in our products because they've heard through word of mouth that we build innovative and reliable products," Roark says.

Employees: 40

What's Next: Launching an automated cell culture system in 2007. MatriCal is also focused on expanding its overseas distribution channel and building a new corporate headquarters in Spokane by 2008. "There's a good employee base here," Roark says. "The lifestyle here is awesome, and the cost of living is great as well, so it's easy to get people to come here."

SIGNATURE GENOMIC LABORATORIES LLC

Location: Spokane

Website: www.signaturegenomics.com

Founded: 2003

Key Innovation: The company developed a proprietary microarray, called a SignatureChip, that is used to identify chromosome abnormalities responsible for such conditions as Down syndrome. In traditional tests, specimens must be cultured and experts are required to interpret the results. Signature Genomic developed a sort of miniature lab on a chip that can detect chromosome abnormalities in just two days. Since the SignatureChip itself is capable of detecting abnormal chromosomes, no expert is required to translate the results. The new test can identify chromosome abnormalities in children with mental retardation and birth defects two to three times more effectively than traditional methods.