Eastern Business Forms

What Eastern Business Forms does

Eastern Business Forms, Inc. (EBF) is the exclusive worldwide manufacturer of 903 Dried Blood Spot (DBS) specimen collection cards, the international standard for body fluid sample collection, transport, analysis, and archiving since 1998. Founded in 1964 (with one source citing 1980) and headquartered in Mauldin/Greenville, South Carolina, EBF operates as a niche medical device manufacturer producing a proprietary cellulose filter paper substrate that enables stable, room-temperature blood and urine sample collection without cold-chain logistics. Its product portfolio spans 903 Single-Part, Two-Part, Multipart, Cassette, Five Spot, and Ten Spot cards, plus foil storage bags, safety lancets, dried urine collection cards, and custom kitting solutions — all FDA Class II registered and CE marked under EU IVD Directive 98/79/EC.

The underlying technology is a validated cellulose fiber matrix with tightly controlled homogeneity, uniform thickness, flow-rate, absorbency, and purity, manufactured under ISO 13485:2016 and FDA 21 CFR Part 820 quality systems. Each sample circle on a 903 card holds 75-80 µl of blood, with a three-year shelf life and compatibility with automated laboratory processing via cassette-format cards, barcodes, and OCR-scannable demographic sections. The company's competitive position rests on sole-source control of the 903 paper formulation globally and a 50+ year track record that includes prior manufacturing relationships with Schleicher & Schuell, Whatman, and GE Healthcare.

EBF's business model is direct-to-customer sales of low-unit-cost consumables ($65-$165 per 100-card pack) via a multilingual e-commerce storefront (shop.ebf-inc.com) and B2B sales channels serving newborn screening laboratories, public health programs, clinical laboratories, and field healthcare providers. The customer base is horizontal across use cases (newborn metabolic screening, PKU, virology, immunology, toxicology, biomarker analysis, health and wellness testing). In October 2025, EBF was acquired by Ahlstrom Oyj and integrated into Ahlstrom's Filtration and Life Sciences business, ending its prior ownership by Gen Cap America. EBF previously operated as a private for-profit company with 101-250 employees and no external funding rounds.

Name

Eastern Business Forms

Legal name

Eastern Business Forms, Inc.

Website

https://ebf-inc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Eastern Business Forms (EBF) is the exclusive worldwide manufacturer of 903 Dried Blood Spot specimen collection cards for newborn screening and clinical diagnostics. The Greenville, SC-based medical device company serves screening laboratories and healthcare providers with FDA Class II certified cards, kitting solutions, and accessories.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Diagnostic Specimen Collection Devices

NAICS

In-Vitro Diagnostic Substance Manufacturing (325413)

SIC

Wholesale-Medical, Dental & Hospital Equipment & Supplies (5047)

akta.pro primary industry

Blood Bank, Transfusion Medicine & Immunohematology (HLAHAAAH)

Keywords

• Dried blood spot cards
• Specimen collection devices
• Newborn screening products
• Diagnostic filter paper
• Medical collection cards

Headquarters

HQ city

Mauldin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. 903 Collection Device Sales: Sale of 903 Dried Blood Spot specimen collection cards and related products including Five Spot Cards, Ten Spot Cards, Multipart Cards, and foil bags. Products sold directly through e-commerce storefront and B2B channels.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Eastern Business Forms (EBF) is the exclusive worldwide manufacturer of 903 Dried Blood Spot (DBS) specimen collection cards used for diagnostic specimen collection. The company produces FDA-registered Class II medical devices in multiple card formats (single-part, two-part, multipart, and cassette) along with dried urine collection cards, foil storage bags, safety lancets, and custom collection kits for newborn screening and clinical diagnostics.

Product overview

Eastern Business Forms (EBF) is the exclusive worldwide manufacturer of 903 Dried Blood Spot (DBS) specimen collection cards, serving the newborn screening and diagnostic testing markets. The core product portfolio centers on the 903 filter paper-based collection system, offered in four card formats: Single-Part, Two-Part, Multipart, and Cassette cards. The Five Spot and Ten Spot cards provide standard configurations with 5 or 10 sample circles respectively, while the Multipart and Cassette variants offer customization options for automated processing and data management. EBF's product line extends to accessories including foil storage bags and safety lancets, along with custom kitting solutions for specialized collection needs. All products are FDA registered Class II medical devices and comply with EU IVD Directive 98/79/EC.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 903 Five Spot Blood Card (EU)
• 903 Five Spot Blood Card (US) FDA-registered Class II medical device dried blood spot collection card with five half-inch (13mm) sample circles, each holding 75-80 µl of sample. Sold in packs of 100.
• 903 Ten Spot Card Dried blood spot collection card containing ten half-inch (13mm) circles with wraparound cover to protect the 903 paper before and after blood collection. Each circle holds 75-80 µl of blood. Sold in packs of 100.
• Generic Multipart Card 903 Multiple-Part Neonatal Card with demographic portion in duplicate, unique sequential number and barcode. Includes five half-inch (13mm) circles with wraparound cover. Sold in packs of 100.
• EBF Foil Bag Foil barrier Ziploc bag (3-7/8" x 5-5/8") for safe storage and transport of Five Spot Cards, providing economical protection against moisture. Sold in packs of 100.
• Medline Safety Lancets Safety lancets for blood sample collection, sold as an accessory product through the EBF storefront.
• 903 Two-Part Card Dried blood spot card consisting of 903 sample area glued to a demographic card available in black or OCR-red. Includes barcode and multi-color printing options to avoid writing directly on 903 paper and prevent sample contamination.
• 903 Multipart Card Dried blood spot card with three or more parts, carbonless top layers for multiple copies, wrap-around cover protecting the 903 blood collection paper, barcode, and unique sequential numbering. Available in various ink colors.
• 903 Cassette Card Custom cassette format card with 903 sample area integrated into a cardboard frame for automated processing. The cassette frame provides stability required for robotic instrument handling. Available with barcode and OCR-scannable demographic sections.
• 903 Single-Part Card Basic dried blood spot collection card with CDC recommended 903 filter paper for neonatal screening. The foundational format for all EBF collection devices.
• Dried Urine Collection Cards Collection cards for dried urine samples in addition to blood spot collection. Part of EBF's specimen collection kit offerings.
• Custom Collection Kits Customized ready-to-use kits specific to applications, including gloves, sterile wipes, lancets, and collection cards with all necessary components for optimal field-based sample collection, storage, and transport.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tens of thousands of babies detected early and intervened in the US through PKU screening using 903 cards

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Ahlstrom OyjacquirerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 October 2025Ahlstrom, a global leader in fiber-based specialty materials, acquired EBF in October 2025. The transaction integrates EBF into Ahlstrom's Filtration and Life Sciences business to support its growth strategy in the lab and life sciences market.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Hardy Diagnostics: Hardy Diagnostics manufactures microbiology culture media and specimen collection/transport devices for clinical laboratories. The company offers collection kits and devices comparable to EBF's custom collection kits and serves clinical laboratory customers.
• Trinity Biotech: Trinity Biotech develops and markets clinical diagnostics with a focus on newborn screening for metabolic disorders. It operates upstream in the same screening workflow that EBF supports with its 903 specimen collection cards.

Direct peers

• Cytiva (formerly Whatman / GE Healthcare Life Sciences): Whatman/GE Healthcare previously manufactured dried blood spot collection devices, which EBF now produces as the exclusive worldwide manufacturer of 903 cards. Cytiva's filtration and life sciences consumables portfolio, including FTA and 903-type substrates, directly overlaps with EBF's diagnostic specimen collection offering.
• Copan Diagnostics: Copan is a global leader in specimen collection devices, including flocked swabs, transport media, and laboratory consumables for diagnostics and microbiology. It competes with EBF in the medical specimen collection device category and sells to the same laboratory customer base.
• Puritan Medical Products: Puritan is a major manufacturer of specimen collection devices including swabs, transport systems, and collection kits. It addresses the same diagnostics sample collection category as EBF and supplies medical laboratory and field healthcare customers globally.

Broad incumbents

• Revvity (formerly PerkinElmer Life Sciences): Revvity operates the newborn screening and clinical diagnostics business that historically worked with EBF substrates. The company provides screening instruments and reagents that consume DBS cards for newborn screening workflows, making it an upstream buyer and a comparable diagnostics player.
• QIAGEN: QIAGEN provides sample preparation technologies, consumables, and molecular diagnostics used in laboratory workflows. Its FTA cards and dried sample technologies overlap with EBF's dried blood spot collection business for nucleic acid and diagnostic applications.
• Ahlstrom Oyj: Ahlstrom acquired EBF in October 2025 and is the parent company, integrating it into its Filtration and Life Sciences segment. Ahlstrom manufactures fiber-based specialty materials including filtration media that overlap with EBF's lab specimen collection substrate business.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Thermo Fisher operates the broadest life sciences and diagnostics consumables portfolio, including sample collection products, laboratory reagents, and clinical screening instruments. It competes broadly with EBF's customer relationships in diagnostic laboratory and newborn screening workflows.
• Bio-Rad Laboratories: Bio-Rad provides clinical diagnostics, quality controls, and laboratory instrumentation used in newborn screening and infectious disease testing. The company supplies reagents, kits, and consumables to the same screening laboratory customer base that purchases EBF's 903 cards.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Eastern Business Forms