What MIDSCI does

MIDSCI (operating as Midwest Scientific, Inc.) is a privately held, family-owned laboratory supply distributor founded in 1983 by Larry Degenhart and now led by his son Mike Degenhart as President & CEO following Larry's death in July 2023. Headquartered in Fenton, Missouri, the company distributes more than 40,000 SKUs across four core categories — supplies (consumables, PPE, labware), chemicals (reagents, biochemicals, buffers), equipment (centrifuges, incubators, freezers, refrigerators), and instruments (balances, thermal cyclers, microscopes) — to academic, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, government, clinical, industrial, and agricultural testing laboratories across the United States.

MIDSCI's differentiated offering rests on two layers: (1) its exclusive proprietary PR1MA™ brand, which spans pipette tips with NoStick® ultra-hydrophobic resin technology, PCR reagents (including qMAX Green qPCR Mix), conical and cryogenic tubes, sealing films, buffers, and benchtop equipment, and (2) exclusive or selective U.S. distribution rights for partner brands including TPP (Swiss-made USP Class VI and European Class I certified cell culture plastics), Haier ultra-low-temperature freezers, Aurelia gloves, and instruments from Azure, Uvitec, and others. Distribution is omnichannel: a Midwest warehouse with 24-hour shipping on stocked items, a field sales team covering U.S. accounts, an inside sales / lab-consultant group for quote-based orders, a dedicated e-commerce storefront at shop.midsci.com, and a select reseller network for PR1MA and TPP products.

MIDSCI operates a sales-led GTM with quote-based pricing, volume/blanket/standing-order programs for institutions, Net 30 terms, and no subscription or recurring revenue component explicitly described. Marketing spans content (blog, selection tools, literature catalogs), email newsletters, social (LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube), and promotional campaigns; the company also maintains a USA-Made product catalog supporting Buy American Act compliance for federal and government procurement. All customer testimonials surfaced are from U.S. higher-education institutions, with several describing labs that switched primary supply relationships from Fisher Scientific to MIDSCI on the basis of sales-rep responsiveness and product quality.

Name

MIDSCI

Legal name

Midwest Scientific

Website

https://midsci.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MIDSCI is a family-owned U.S. laboratory supply distributor founded in 1983, selling 40,000+ SKUs of consumables, reagents, equipment, and instruments — including its proprietary PR1MA brand — to academic, biotech, pharmaceutical, government, and clinical laboratories across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Laboratory Supplies Distribution

NAICS

Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers (42421), Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing (3391)

SIC

Wholesale-Medical, Dental & Hospital Equipment & Supplies (5047), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Laboratory Consumables & Plasticware (Tips, Tubes, Plates, Filters) (HLAGAIAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Lab Equipment (Centrifuges, Incubators, Shakers, Ovens) (HLAGAIAC), Medical Supplies & Consumables Wholesale (Non-Device) (CRAOAHAE), Raw Materials & Critical Reagents Supply Services (media, resins, single-use) (HLAAAKAI)

Keywords

• Laboratory supplies distribution
• Life science consumables
• Cell culture plastics
• Molecular biology reagents
• Lab equipment distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Valley Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Laboratory Supplies Distribution: MIDSCI generates revenue through the distribution and resale of laboratory equipment, supplies, chemicals, and instruments to life science laboratories. The company operates as a B2B distributor selling consumables (pipette tips, tubes, plates, gloves), reagents (PCR reagents, biochemicals), equipment (centrifuges, freezers, incubators), and instruments (microscopes, thermal cyclers). Revenue is derived from product sales at markup over manufacturer pricing, with no subscription or recurring revenue component explicitly described.
2. Exclusive Brand Product Sales (PR1MA): MIDSCI sells its proprietary PR1MA brand products (pipette tips, reagents, tubes, cryo tubes, PCR products) as a captive product line, generating revenue at margins controlled entirely by MIDSCI. These are manufactured by partners and branded/distributed exclusively by MIDSCI.
3. Equipment Sales and Calibration Services: Sale of laboratory equipment (Haier freezers, microscopes, centrifuges, pipettors) and associated services including pipettor calibration. Equipment sales are one-time transactions; calibration may represent a recurring service revenue stream.
4. Volume/Contract Pricing: MIDSCI offers volume pricing, blanket orders, standing orders, and one-year guaranteed pricing to institutional customers (government labs, universities, biotech companies), suggesting negotiated contract revenue alongside standard catalog pricing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

MIDSCI distributes over 40,000 laboratory products across four categories (Supplies, Chemicals, Equipment, and Instruments) to life science research laboratories in academia, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, government, and clinical settings. The company sells its own exclusive PR1MA brand (consumables, reagents, and bench equipment) alongside distributed brands such as Swiss-made TPP cell culture plastics, Haier ultra-low temperature freezers, Azure Biosystems qPCR systems, and Uvitec crosslinkers. The company also provides pipettor calibration services.

Product overview

MIDSCI is a family-owned laboratory supplies and equipment distributor offering over 40,000 products across four main categories: Supplies (consumables, PPE, labware), Chemicals (reagents, biochemicals, buffers), Equipment (centrifuges, incubators, freezers), and Instruments (balances, thermal cyclers, microscopes). The company's own PR1MA™ brand provides high-quality consumables, reagents, and benchtop equipment including pipette tips, PCR products, tubes, and reagents at competitive prices. MIDSCI also distributes exclusive brands like TPP (Swiss-made cell culture plastics) and carries equipment from manufacturers like Haier (ULT freezers), Azure (qPCR systems), and Uvitec. The portfolio is organized around core lab essentials for molecular biology, cell culture, and life science research, with the PR1MA brand serving as the company's proprietary product line complemented by distributed third-party brands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PR1MA: MIDSCI's exclusive brand of high-quality laboratory products including consumables (pipette tips, PCR tubes, serological pipettes, microplates), reagents (PCR master mix, protein markers, biochemicals), and bench equipment (mini centrifuges, vortex mixers). Built for molecular biology, cell culture, diagnostics, and life science research applications.

Products and services

• PR1MA Brand Exclusive proprietary brand of laboratory consumables, reagents, and benchtop equipment for molecular biology, cell culture, diagnostics, and life science research, including pipette tips, PCR products, tubes, and bench equipment.
• TPP (Techno Plastic Products) Cell Culture Plastics Swiss-made disposable cell and tissue culture plastics including tissue culture flasks, multiwell plates, cryogenic tubes, dishes, and bioreactor tubes, manufactured from virgin medical-grade synthetic polymers and certified to USP Class VI and European Class I medical device standards. Distributed by MIDSCI across the U.S.
• Laboratory Chemicals and Reagents High-quality reagents and compounds including PCR/qPCR reagents, assay kits, DNA extraction kits, enzymes, biochemicals, buffers, growth media, fluorescent dyes, and USP/ACS-grade chemicals for molecular biology and life science research.
• Laboratory Equipment Laboratory equipment including centrifuges, microcentrifuges, autoclaves, water baths, incubators, freezers, refrigerators, hotplates, stirrers, shakers, electrophoresis units, and pipettors.
• Laboratory Instruments Precision laboratory instruments including analytical balances, cell counters, spectrophotometers, thermal cyclers, microscopes, digital refractometers, and tissue dissociators.
• Haier ULT Freezers Ultra-low temperature freezers including -86°C ULT freezers and -150°C TwinCool cryogenic freezers, with energy-efficient and frequency-control models for secure sample storage.
• PR1MA Low Retention Pipette Tips Pipette tips with proprietary NoStick® ultra-hydrophobic resin coating and finely tapered walls, certified RNase, DNase, and pyrogen-free, designed for maximum sample recovery in PCR, electrophoresis, and cell culture workflows.
• AlphaPette Pipettors Precision pipettors designed for ergonomic handling and consistent accuracy in liquid handling applications, distributed under the PR1MA brand.
• ali-Q Edge Pipet Controller Pipet controller for liquid handling in laboratory workflows, distributed by MIDSCI with bundle promotions.
• Aurelia Nitrile Laboratory Gloves Nitrile laboratory gloves in multiple thicknesses (2-5 mil) including Amazing (2 mil), Blush, and Bold (5 mil Black) styles, starting under $8 per box.
• Azure Cielo qPCR Systems Real-time qPCR systems for quantitative PCR analysis in molecular biology research, distributed by MIDSCI under the Azure Biosystems brand.
• X500/X1000 Microscopes Advanced modular imaging microscopes with NIS60 infinity optics, available in upright (X500) and inverted (X1000) configurations, supporting manual brightfield to automated 6-D imaging with Fly Eye illumination.
• Pipettor Calibration Services Calibration service for laboratory pipettors, supporting accuracy and compliance for liquid handling instruments sold by MIDSCI.
• PR1MA qMAX Green qPCR Mix High-performance qPCR reagent in the PR1MA brand, positioned as a cost-effective alternative to premium brands with up to 50% savings, designed for sensitive molecular biology workflows.
• PR1MA Syringe Filters New PR1MA syringe filters for laboratory filtration applications.
• Uvitec CL-508 Crosslinker UV Irradiation System Uvitec CL-508 Crosslinker UV Irradiation System for laboratory applications such as DNA crosslinking on membranes.
• RNAGEM Nucleic Acid Extraction Kits RNAGEM Nucleic Acid Extraction Kits for molecular biology workflows including RNA/DNA isolation.
• Smart-Q Mini Quantitative Fluorometer Smart-Q Mini Quantitative Fluorometer for fluorescence-based quantification in molecular biology workflows.
• PR1MA DPBS 1X Solution PR1MA DPBS 1X Solution for cell culture washing and buffer applications.
• Explorer EXR Precision Balances High-precision Explorer EXR analytical balances for accurate laboratory weighing applications.
• PR1MA Non Fat Dry Milk Powder PR1MA Non Fat Dry Milk Powder for biochemical applications including blocking and reagent preparation.
• PR1MA Extra Stretch Sealing Film PR1MA Extra Stretch Sealing Film designed for sealing PCR plates and multiwell plates.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40,000+ products available from a single distributor, streamlining procurement for labs
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• TPP (Techno Plastic Products)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1966TPP (Techno Plastic Products), a Swiss manufacturer since 1966, is a core distribution partner for MIDSCI. TPP manufactures high-quality disposable plastic products for cell culture and laboratory applications, including tissue culture flasks, multiwell plates, cryogenic tubes, and pipettes. MIDSCI distributes TPP products throughout the U.S. via its sales network and e-commerce platform. TPP is also referenced as 'TTP™' in MIDSCI marketing materials and is available through MIDSCI's select network of resellers.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Spectrum Chemical: Mid-sized U.S. distributor of laboratory chemicals, reagents, and biochemicals with a comparable focus on USP/ACS-grade products, similar customer base in academic and biotech labs.
• Starlab Group: Manufacturer and distributor of premium lab consumables (pipette tips, tubes, cell culture) competing directly with PR1MA branded products and with similar distribution partnerships into U.S. academia.
• Celltreat Scientific: Manufacturer of plastic lab consumables (pipette tips, tubes, plates, cell culture) competing head-to-head with PR1MA on the same lab-consumable SKUs at similar value-priced positioning.
• Genesee Scientific: Family-owned mid-market lab supply distributor serving academic and biotech research with consumables, reagents, and equipment. Comparable in scale, ownership structure, and customer focus to MIDSCI.
• USA Scientific: Mid-sized U.S. lab consumables and equipment distributor focused on molecular biology and life science research — closest direct competitor to MIDSCI in size, customer base, and exclusive private-brand distribution model.

Broad incumbents

• VWR / Avantor: Global lab supply distributor (formerly VWR, now part of Avantor) serving academic, biotech, and government labs with a comprehensive catalog. Direct large-scale competitor to MIDSCI across chemicals, consumables, and equipment.
• Fisher Scientific: Dominant incumbent in U.S. lab supply distribution; named as the supplier MIDSCI displaces in the Saint Louis University case study. Overlaps broadly across consumables, equipment, and instruments at much greater scale.
• Eppendorf North America: Premium manufacturer of pipettes, tips, centrifuges, and consumables; competes with MIDSCI as a brand carried by competitors but also overlaps in equipment distribution (centrifuges, pipettors).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@midsci5374
• Facebookfacebook.com/midsci
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/midsci
• Xx.com/midsci

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 MIDSCI