Corrections or additions?
This article by Barbara Fox was prepared for the November 13, 2002 edition of U.S. 1 Newspaper. All rights reserved.
Companies on the Move
When Bristol-Myers Squibb bought the DuPont Pharmaceutical
portfolio last year, it laid off most of the employees and closed
both Delaware laboratories. But some ex-DuPont scientists have landed
on their feet. With technology licensed from DuPont, George Li of
CombiPhos Catalysts offers highly active, air-stable homogeneous catalysts
for making pharmaceuticals at his Deer Park Drive research lab.
Li earned his undergraduate degree in China and earned his PhD in
chemistry from Northwestern, then worked as team leader at DuPont.
Last year he licensed the technology he was working on and started
this firm. Used by more than 100 companies in 12 countries, the product
uses combinatorial technology to effect catalysis — molecular
bonding — for making pharmaceuticals and other products. He opened
the two-person lab in October.
Using combinatorial technology the firm manufactures and sells a wide
variety of these catalysts, which were invented by Li. The company
is also using new combinatorial technologies to commercialize highly
active and air-stable chiral/achiral catalysts.
“These catalysts can efficiently mediate a wide variety of organic
transformations, especially for the cross-coupling reactions involving
in aryl halides,” says Li.
CombiPhos Catalysts Inc., 1 Deer Park Drive, SuiteM, Princeton 08542-0220. George Li, owner. 908-281-7168; fax, 908-281-9698.Www.combiphos.comTop Of PageOnline EducatorsEduNeering, based at University Square, has new contractsfor online learning in the areas of security and pharmaceutical regulation.It is teaming with a security agency to develop online courses totrain management to recognize and deal with security issues. New York-basedCitigate Global Intelligence & Security is helping to write the seriesfocusing on counter-terrorism, threat assessments, security policies& procedures, and intellectual property protection (www.citigategis.com).EduNeering also has the first online training course in a series entitledComputerized Systems Inspections in the Pharmaceutical Industry. Toaddress Food and Drug Administration regulatory requirements, EduNeeringtapped the expertise of Sion Wyn of ISPE, an international societyfor Life Science professionals (www.ispe.org).This course is part of the FDA Office of Regulatory Affairs’ VirtualUniversity (ORA U), which Eduneering develops and maintains. ThroughORA U, the FDA enforcement staff and FDA authorized agents can takemore than 90 web-based courses in such areas as Basics of Investigation,Food and Drug Law, and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs). EduNeeringalso provides a learning management system that documents and retainsthe records for all training conducted by the agency.The company provides technology-based learning solutions for morethan 250 clients in the pharmaceutical, healthcare, medical device,food processing, energy and general manufacturing industries.EduNeering Inc., 100 Campus Drive, University Square,Princeton 08540. Don Deieso, president & CEO. 609-627-5300; fax, 609-627-5330.Home page: www.EduNeering.comTop Of PageExpansionsGeologic Services Corporation, 1 AAA Drive, Suite203, Robbinsville 08691. Derek Fisher, operations manager. 609-584-5271;fax, 609-584-7498. Www.gsc-global.comThis hydrology and environmental consulting firm expanded with a two-stagemove from 6,000 feet on South Gold Drive to 11,000 square feet onAAA Drive. With 32 people, it is hiring several entry level professionalswith engineering, geology, environmental degrees. Meanwhile it hopesto get a two-year sublease on its 6,000 feet on South Gold.Derek Fisher is regional office manager and is also in charge of a14-person office in Jessup, Maryland. The son of educators in MonmouthCounty, Fisher majored in civil engineering at Bucknell University,Class of 1991, and has an MBA from Monmouth University. He workedfor Matrix Engineering in Red Bank (where he met his fiancee, whohas a human resources job) and came to Geologic Services in 1995.Geologic Services was founded in 1981 by a husband-wife geology teamin Hudson, Massachusetts, and has seven offices. For major petroleumcompanies, it investigates and clean up petroleum spills and othercontaminated sites. Among its competitors is the former IT Corp. (nowpart of the Shaw Group) in Horizon Center.Unlike the IT Corporation, Geologic Services has resisted the tendencyto grow quickly by buying up other companies. It is now employee owned,so that profits are distributed in the form of stock.Among the clean-up methods used are soil excavation (digging up theimpacted soil), soil vapor extraction (pulling volatile organic compoundsout of the ground, treating them, and discharge the air into the atmosphere),ground water pumping (pumping the contaminated groundwater, treatingit, and discharging it to a sewer system or storm sewer), and bioventing(adding oxygen to the subsurface to facilitate natural remediation),Bioremediation, using bacteria to clean up the pollution, is usedon an experimental basis.T. Hasegawa USA Inc., 307 College Road East, Princeton08540. Michael Smagula, eastern sales manager. 609-716-1100; fax,609-716-6800. Home page: www.thasegawa.comThe regional sales office of the Tokyo-based maker of essences, fragrances,seasonings, extracts, and colorings, has leased 5,500 square feetat 307 College Road East, a move from Princeton Meadows Office Center.The company is based in Cerritos, California. Tom Stange and VinceMarano of National Business Parks represented the landlord, LawrenceZirinsky Associates.NeoStrata Company Inc., 4 Research Way, Princeton08540. Richard H. Wildnauer, president. 609-520-0715; fax, 609-520-0849.E-mail: NeoStrata@aol.comWww.NeoStrata.comThe skin care company has taken more space at 307 College Road Eastand extended its Research Way lease through 2010 for a total of 30,000square feet at College Park at Princeton Forrestal Center. It focuseson therapeutic skin care and patented alpha-hydroxy acid formulationsand also includes TriStrata Inc., PolyStrata Pharmaceuticals, andTri-Strata Technology Inc.Horizon Mercy, 210 Silvia Street, West Trenton08628. Karen Clark, acting CEO and president. 609-538-0700; fax, 609-538-0833.The managed care company expanded by moving 280 employees from 275Phillips Boulevard to a Hilton realty property, 210 Silvia Street,in West Trenton. With this move the firm consolidated its Trenton,Camden, and Bloomfield offices. Meanwhile Velvet G. Miller has leftthe post of CEO and the former chief operating officer, Karen Clark,is serving as acting president and CEO. The program is a partnershipof Horizon Healthcare of NJ, a subsidiary of Horizon Blue Cross BlueShield, and Mercy Health Plan.Peterson’s, 2000 Lenox Drive, Princeton Pike CorporateCenter, Suite 300, Lawrenceville 08648. Mary Gatch, CFO and executivevice president. 609-896-1800; fax, 609-896-1811. Www.petersons.comPeterson’s has bought California-based CyberEdit for an undisclosedsum. CyberEdit’s online essay instruction and editing (www.essayedge.com)and resume-writing services (www.resumeedge.com) is expected supplementPeterson’s suite of college and graduate-school planning solutions.Peterson’s, a provider of books and online resources focusing on theeducational-search, test-preparation, and financial-aid markets, ispart of the Thomson Corporation of Canada.Princeton Engineering Services Inc., 501 PlainsboroRoad, Plainsboro 08536. Sanjeev Agarwal PE, president. 609-452-9700;fax, 609-452-9701. Home page: www.ehvacdesign.comThis engineering firm has moved from 55 Princeton Hightstown Roadto 1,100 square feet on Plainsboro Road. Its president, Sanjeev Agarwal,graduated from Bhopal University in 1983 and came to the United Statesto work for CUH2A and Kelder & Gilligo. Agarwal is married and hasa school-aged daughter. Active in the American Society of PlumbingEngineers, he is a licensed Professional Engineer. His father andfour of his six uncles are engineers, and his brother, Raj RajeevAgarwal, has his own firm, TechFab International, also at this location.Agarwal founded his own firm two years ago and does mechanical andelectrical design and plumbing systems — including fire alarms— for office buildings, schools, and restaurants. Among his recentdesigns were the closed circuit television system for Passaic Highschool closed circuit television design, the HVAC system for the Amalfi’srestaurant (with interior design by Saphire Associates), an electricalupgrade for Princeton Radiology, and a new medical center in Jamesburg.He also worked for Con Edison in New York City.Top Of PageCrosstown MovesFort Dodge Animal Health, 9 Deer Park Drive, Box5366, Princeton 08543-5366. Gary Bleacher, operations manager. 732-631-6003;fax, 732-631-6007. Home page: www.pt.fdah.comNow that Wyeth has closed the former American Cyanamid site to humans,95 researchers moved their offices and labs from Quakerbridge Roadto Deer Park Drive, Princeton Corporate Plaza. For now, the cows andpigs remain at their old stomping grounds, but Gary Bleacher, thefarm manager, hopes to move them to a farm in Hunterdon County soon.When American Home Products bought American Cyanamid, Cyanamid wasdoing agricultural research for both animals and crops. American HomeProducts sold the crops division to BASF (which then moved those jobsto North Carolina and Germany) and kept the animal health divisionunder the Fort Dodge name. Recently American Home Products changedits corporate name to mirror that of another company it owns, Wyeth.Creative Benefits Plans Inc. (CBPlans), 101 InterchangePlaza, Suite 105, Cranbury 08512. Thomas Richman, manager. 609-409-1300;fax, 609-655-2887. Home page: www.cbplans.comThe three-person benefit planning company moved from 8 South RiverRoad last month. It offers benefit plans for small to medium-sizedfirms.Folica Beauty Supplies, 8 Corporate Drive, Cranbury08512. Dennis Huang, president and CEO. 609-860-8430; fax, 609-860-8432.Www.folica.comThe web-based beauty supply company has moved from 2553 Route 130to Corporate Drive, but it uses the Route 130 mailing address. Phoneand fax are the same.Medina Consultants PC, 29 Emmons Drive, BuildingB, Princeton 08540. Robert Medina, president. 609-219-0556; fax, 609-219-0566.The engineering firm moved from 3,500 square feet at 15 Princess Roadto Emmons Drive. Headquartered in Hackettstown and founded in 1989it does environmental permitting and land surveying.Princeton Immigration Group, 2665 Main Street,Lawrenceville 08648. Joseph Asir. 609-620-0949; fax, 609-620-0955.Www.princetonimmigrationgroup.comIn August the Village of Lawrenceville welcomed yet another new business.Princeton Immigration Group, a boutique immigration law firm, relocatedfrom Princeton to 2665 Main Street.Yorkshire Financial Services Inc., 666 PlainsboroRoad, Plainsboro 08536. Irwin M. Behren, certified financial planner.609-655-4333; fax, 609-655-8449.Irvin Behrens, a financial planner and investment advisor, moved hisoffice from Constitution Center on Route 130 North to Princeton MeadowsOffice Center. Royal Alliance Associates is the broker/dealer withwhich he does stock trading. He went to Brooklyn College and has anMBA in finance from New York University plus a CFP designation andan insurance license.Before going into financial planning, Behrens was a corporate controllerfor smaller companies and worked for IBM and Korvettes. Among hisservices are tax planning and tax preparation, and he represents 14companies for long term care insurance.Top Of PageContracts AwardedChildren’s Futures, 101 West State Street, ThomasEdison State College, Trenton 08608. Rush Russell. 609-695-1997; fax,609-777-3207. Home page:Children’s Futures has awarded $366,852 in new grants to four morelocal agencies, bringing its total support for Trenton’s prenatal,early childhood and parenting programs to more than $3 million.The newest grants will support the Trenton School District, Homefront,the National Council on Aging, and the First Book-Mercer program.They are geared to improve child health and development and outcomesfor children from birth to three years old. These programs complementa series of activities already underway in Trenton, including theestablishment of neighborhood parent/child centers in each ward, andinitiatives to engage fathers in parenting, reduce substance abuse,improve quality in child care and promote literacy.Children’s Futures is an RWJ Foundation-funded initiative to strengthenearly childhood development in Trenton.Inforest Communications, 36 South Broad Street,Trenton Business & Technology Center, Trenton 08608. Dana Hutchins,president. 609-656-7700; fax, 609-396-8603. Home page: www.inforest.comInforest Communications of Trenton has completed a major redesignof the International Furnishings and Design Association website (www.ifda.com).Founded in 1947 and headquartered at Creative Marketing Alliance onClarksville Road, the IFDA is the only all-industry association whosemembers provide products and services within the furnishings and designindustry. Inforest offers digital communication tools, web-based E-commerceand database systems, online marketing tools, promotion and performancetracking.Top Of PageFunding AnnouncedWorldWater Corp. (WWAT), 55 Route 31 South, PenningtonBusiness Park, Pennington 08534. Quentin T. Kelly, chairman and CEO.609-818-0700; fax, 609-818-0720. Home page: www.worldwater.comThe water management and solar energy company did a $2.5 million dealwith Millennium 3 Opportunity Fund, a Roseland-based venture capitalgroup. The VC has contributed $250,000 so far, and the additionalinvestment will follow after the due diligence period is complete.WorldWater is a principal supplier of renewable energy and remotewater supply for emerging nations and is now getting into the Californiamainstream power market to provide energy solutions for agriculture,refrigeration, and water utilities. “Our breakthrough technology— solar pumping systems capable of driving several hundred horsepowermotors — has opened important new business opportunities in thewater and alternative energy fields,” says Quentin T. Kelly, CEOof WorldWater.Among its contracts for AquaMax solar technology is one for $891,000to operate a 300-horsepower compressor pumping system for a food processingcooler at a farm in Edison, California. The AquaMax operates by itselfor in combination with an electric grid of diesel generators. It savesunused self-generated solar electricity and “banks it,” literallyrunning the meter backwards for later use. This system is to be installedby the end of this year. Another system will drive a 50-horsepowerirrigation pump to light up outer buildings of a ranch in Firebaugh,California.ExpertPlan, 50 Millstone Road, Windsor CorporatePark 400, Suite 100, Cranbury 08512. Winthrop Cody, president. 609-918-2500;fax, 609-918-1328. Www.expertplan.comThe web-based application service provider for Internet-based retirementplanning services has closed a $4.35 venture capital funding. Latelast month Philadelphia-based Liberty Venture Partners bought SeriesB Preferred stock, and Liberty’s co-founder, David J. Robkin, joinedthe ExpertPlan board.John Hancock and Putnam Investors are among the 20 clients who havechosen ExpertPlan’s web-based “self service” model, whichempowers plan participants to manage their own accounts, eliminatesthird-party errors, and reduces costs and the administrative burdenson the financial professional and the plan sponsor. The web programalso offers online access to marketing materials and proposal requests.Top Of PageProduct LaunchedCovance Inc. (CVD), 206 Carnegie Center, Princeton08540-6681. Chris Kuebler, chairman and CEO. 609-452-8550; fax, 609-452-9854.Home page: www.covance.comCovance has launched the first on-screen system for digital electrocardiogramsto use in clinical trials, called Digitography. It puts waveform measurementon screen — reproducible interval measurement with good resolution,says Eileen Daniel, general manager for Central Diagnostics at Covance.Once Covance gets the original digital ECG signals, technicians inReno, Nevada, verify the quality of the signal in real-time and cardiologistsanalyze the ECG through an on-screen-reading station.Top Of PageLeaving TownInformation Infrastructures Inc., 379 Princeton-HightstownRoad, Cranbury. Www.inx3.comInformation Infrastructures Inc. has closed its Cranbury office andcalls are being taken at its headquarters at 1285 Avenue of the Americas,Suite 3501, New York 10019-6028, 888-922-INX3. The firm focuses onIBM’s WebSphere MQ family of products — a messaging middlewareenvironment.Kewill Electronic Commerce Inc., 100 NickersonRoad, Marlborough 01752. Bill Owen, COO. 877-872-2379; fax, 508-229-4404.Home page: www.kewill.comKewill’s 20-person office has closed at 2555 Route 130 and has movedto the company’s North American headquarters in Marlboro, Massachusetts.It has software that helps companies manage the order-to-deliveryprocess (U.S. 1, February 18, 1998). Formerly known as Evcor DistributionPlus, the company was sold by founder Stephen H. Cooper to Kewill,a London-based firm, in 2001.”We still have some Princeton employees working from home offices,”says Bill Owen, COO. “We will continue to support our customerswithin the region.” Kewill has 150 employees in the United Statesand five other regional offices, including one in Chicago.Liberty Mutual Group, Route 73 South, Suite 325,Marlton 08053. 800-486-6152; fax, 846-596-1705. Www.libertymutual.comThe insurance office at 10 Schalks Crossing Road has closed and LillianRodriguez, sales representative, is handling calls from an officein Marlton.Top Of PageName ChangesCredit Union of New Jersey, 7 Dunmore Avenue, Ewing08618. Andrew L. Jaeger, president/CEO. 609-538-4061; fax, 609-538-4057.Www.njdotcu.orgThe NJDOT Credit Union has changed its name to reflect its broadermembership. It has two branches, one on State Street and one on ParkwayAvenue in Ewing, formerly known as Parkway Financial Credit Union.With 17,000 members it has $112 million in assets and plans a mergerwith a state employee credit union, the State Credit Union of Trenton,in December.Top Of PageDeathsHoward J. Ramberger, 56, on November 3. He owned KronosCommunication Data, a software systems firm in West Trenton.Eugene “Buck” Taylor, 73, on November 6. He hadbeen an engineer-supervisor for the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor atPrinceton Plasma Physics Laboratory.Michael R. Puca, 77, on November 6. He had been the directorof the New Jersey Credit Union League.Corrections or additions?This page is published by PrincetonInfo.com— the web site for U.S. 1 Newspaper in Princeton, New Jersey.
