Millipore sees bigger tech role

By Todd Wallack, Globe Staff  |  September 17, 2007

For decades, Millipore Corp. has supplied scientific labs around the world with purified water and filters.

But now, after a series of acquisitions, the Billerica-based company hopes to become known as a major supplier to the life sciences industries. It now provides everything from new technology to activate slivers of genetic code to tools for manufacturing cutting-edge drugs.

At its Bedford research center today, Millipore will formally unveil an updated logo, a new slogan, and an advertising campaign aimed at persuading customers it's not the same old company.

"We are not just a filtration company," said chief executive Martin Madaus. "We have transformed ourselves into a life-sciences tools company."

Until a few years ago, Madaus said, Millipore simply filled a few strong niches, such as lab water. But through acquisitions and research, its product line has broadened to serve markets that range from drug discovery to stem cell research. Customers include major drug makers, including Pfizer Inc., and biotech companies such as Biogen Idec Inc. and Genzyme Corp, both of Cambridge.

Millipore has about 6,100 employees, including more than 1,176 in Massachusetts and another 588 in Southern New Hampshire. Its market value of $4 billion makes it one of the dozen largest life sciences firms based in Massachusetts.

In its biggest deal, the company bought Serologicals Corp. for $1.5 billion last summer. Over the past two years, it has also purchased Newport Bio Systems Inc., NovAseptic AB, and MicroSafe B.V., for a combined $114 million.

"We bought them to have critical technologies and critical mass," Madaus said.

Now the company is trying to change its image as well, including:

A new slogan, "Advancing life science together." It's intended to convey the message that Millipore can work as a partner with drug makers and other life sciences companies, providing a range of sophisticated products and services.

Different ads. The company says it will use more thought-provoking print ads in industry publications, instead of static shots of equipment and people in lab coats. For instance, one ad features proteins - some lit up and others dark - to highlight Millipore's technology to make key proteins stand out. The tagline: "Bright lights? See your proteins shine."

An updated logo. The company's old moniker featured its name spelled out in slim blue letters. Now Millipore is using a new logo emphasizing a fat, folded M. Millipore's name is written on the side.

Madaus said the company has spent roughly $1 million on the marketing effort so far, and is likely to spend millions more in coming years as it updates its marketing materials and signs. "It's a multiyear effort. When you have been in the business for 54 years, it will take a few years" to change an image, Madaus said.

To help do that, Millipore tapped Wolff Olins, a New York brand consultant that has worked with other major companies, including General Electric Co. and Unilever. Dean Crutchfield, Wolff Olins's director of marketing, said the company spent 10 months on the effort. But Crutchfield agrees it will take years more to change perceptions about the company.

"In communications, there is the slow build and the big reveal," he said. "This is the slow build."

Regardless, Millipore has told Wall Street it expects its sales and earnings to continue to thrive. Last year, it generated $1.3 billion in revenue, up 27 percent, largely because of the Serologicals acquisition. Millipore also earned $97 million, up 21 percent.

In addition to Billerica and Bedford, it has major operations in Danvers and Jaffrey, N.H.

Todd Wallack can be reached at twallack@globe.com.