Markes International is a manufacturer and supplier of specialist analytical instrumentation that enhances the sensitivity and application scope of GC–MS. They also manufacture and supply complementary sampling devices, accessories, and consumables.
Markes International was founded in 1997. Their first thermal desorption instrument, the UNITY, was released shortly thereafter. The company has since updated and expanded their instrument portfolio, including a wider range of thermal desorbers, and Centri, a range of automated sample preparation and pre-concentration platforms.
Markes’ factory, technical centre and headquarters is in Bridgend, Wales, UK. In 2011, they expanded this and their US operations (Markes International, Inc.) - adding extra laboratory and demonstration facilities. In 2017 their US operations transferred from Cincinnati, Ohio, to a new office in Gold River, Sacramento, California.
In 2013, Markes became a company of the Schauenburg International Group,German firm buys majority stake in specialist producer, Wales Online, January 2013 and opened a technical centre near Frankfurt as part of their German operations (Markes International GmbH).
The company has arrangements for distribution and market development with Agilent Technologies, ThermoFisher Scientific, and a number of other distributors.
Markes International holds patents for a number of technological innovations, including diffusion-locking caps and inserts for sorbent tubes,E.A. Woolfenden and A. Cole, ‘Sampling device’, UK patent no. GB2359070, 4 December 2002 (http://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/originalDocument?FT=D&date=20021204&DB=EPODOC&locale=en_EP&CC=GB&NR=2359070B&KC=B&ND=4)E.A. Woolfenden and A. Cole, ‘Sample tube caps’, UK patent no. GB2374866, 11 December 2002 (http://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/originalDocument?FT=D&date=20021211&DB=&locale=en_EP&CC=GB&NR=2374866B&KC=B&ND=1) RFID tags for sorbent tubes,E.A. Woolfenden and A. Cole, ‘Sampling device’, US patent no. US 6,446,515, 10 September 2002 (http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=6,446,515.PN.&OS=PN/6,446,515&RS=PN/6,446,515) and a soft electron ionisation source.An analytical apparatus utilising electron impact ionisation, Patent WO 2014128462 A2
The company received the Queen's Award for Enterprise in the 'International Trade' category in 2015 and 2019, and was also honoured in the 'Innovation' category in 2019.
References
See also Thermal desorption Gas chromatography