The McCrone Group
The McCrone Group is a privately held analytical services and instrumentation firm specializing in microscopy and microanalysis. Through McCrone Associates (lab services), McCrone Microscopes & Accessories (instrument distribution), and Hooke College of Applied Sciences (training), it serves pharmaceutical, forensic, food, manufacturing, and conservation clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1956
- HeadquartersWestmont, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The McCrone Group does
The McCrone Group, Inc. is a privately held Illinois corporation founded in 1956 and headquartered in Westmont, Illinois, operating across three integrated divisions under a single corporate umbrella. McCrone Associates delivers fee-for-service analytical laboratory work in microanalysis, materials characterization, contamination identification, failure analysis, and forensic trace evidence; the laboratory holds ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation and supports pharmaceutical, forensic, food and beverage, manufacturing, and art conservation clients. McCrone Microscopes & Accessories distributes microscopy, spectroscopy, and sample-preparation instrumentation from global OEMs including Hitachi, JEOL, Nikon, Olympus, Motic, Linkam, Timegate, Pendar Technologies, Retsch, and Cressington, functioning as an authorized multi-brand channel for both enterprise buyers and benchtop users. Hooke College of Applied Sciences (rebranded from The College of Microscopy in 2013) provides continuing-education courses, workshops, certificates, and academic-degree partnerships, including a Chemical Microscopy program with Concordia University Chicago and STEM workshops with Aurora University.
The underlying technology stack spans optical microscopy (PLM, upright and inverted configurations), electron microscopy (benchtop and compact SEM platforms from Hitachi and JEOL), vibrational spectroscopy (Raman—including time-gated fluorescence suppression from Timegate—and FTIR), X-ray diffraction (with the proprietary McCrone XRD Mill for sample preparation), and assorted sample-preparation instruments (ion mills, microtomes, sputter coaters, cryogenic mills). Software components include PAX-it! (with a 21 CFR Part 11 Extended Security Module for pharmaceutical compliance), Linkam NEXUS thermal-stage control software, Nikon NIS-Elements, and JEOL Particle Analysis Software 3.
Revenue mechanics combine professional-services fees (laboratory testing), hardware reseller margins (instrument sales via direct e-commerce, phone-based inside sales, and field enterprise sales, supplemented by the Midwest Nikon Metrology channel partnership), and tuition from training programs—underpinned by a sales-led, consultative go-to-market that uses a 30+ webinar library, the Modern Microscopy blog, case studies, and conference participation (Pittcon, Microscopy & Microanalysis) as content marketing. The company has been NIJ-grant-funded for forensic scientist training and is recognized for high-profile cultural and scientific engagements, including authentication of the Gospel of Judas manuscript and analysis of moon dust.
The McCrone Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The McCrone Group
- Legal name
- The McCrone Group, Inc.
- Website
- https://mccrone.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1956
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The McCrone Group is a privately held analytical services and instrumentation firm specializing in microscopy and microanalysis. Through McCrone Associates (lab services), McCrone Microscopes & Accessories (instrument distribution), and Hooke College of Applied Sciences (training), it serves pharmaceutical, forensic, food, manufacturing, and conservation clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The McCrone Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Analytical Laboratory Services & Microscopy Instrumentation
- NAICS
- Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)
- SIC
- Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Central Laboratory & Clinical Trial Testing CROs (HLAGAAAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Scientific & Laboratory Reference (Chemistry, Biology, Physics; Methods & Protocols) (EDAGAGAG)
Keywords
Where The McCrone Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Westmont
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The McCrone Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Analytical Laboratory Services: Fee-for-service analytical testing including particle analysis, contamination identification, failure analysis, and materials characterization. Services support pharmaceutical, food, manufacturing, and forensic industries.
- Instrument Sales: Sales of microscopes, spectroscopy equipment, sample preparation instruments, lab supplies, and accessories from brands including Nikon, Olympus, Hitachi, JEOL, Motic, Linkam, Timegate, and Pendar Technologies.
- Microscopy Training: Educational programs through Hooke College of Applied Sciences including courses, workshops, and certificates in microscopy techniques for professionals.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
The McCrone Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The McCrone Group operates three divisions: (1) McCrone Associates provides fee-for-service analytical laboratory testing including particle analysis, contamination identification, failure analysis, and materials characterization; (2) McCrone Microscopes & Accessories distributes scientific instruments from leading manufacturers; (3) Hooke College of Applied Sciences delivers professional microscopy training and workshops. The company is ISO/IEC 17025 accredited and serves pharmaceutical, forensic, food, and manufacturing industries.
Product overview
The McCrone Group operates as a diversified analytical services and instrumentation company with three core divisions: Analytical Laboratory Services (offering microanalysis, materials testing, and contamination analysis for pharmaceuticals, forensics, food safety, and materials science), Instrument Sales (distributing microscopy and spectroscopy equipment including Hitachi and JEOL scanning electron microscopes, Motic and Nikon optical microscopes, Linkam thermal stages, Pendar and Timegate Raman spectrometers, and Retsch sample preparation equipment), and Hooke College of Applied Sciences (providing professional microscopy training programs and workshops). The portfolio includes PAX-it! imaging software with pharmaceutical compliance modules, various sample preparation instruments including ion mills, mixers, and microtomes, and specialized reference materials. The company also offers installation, qualification, and remote microscopy services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use The McCrone Group
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
The McCrone Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
The McCrone Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Nikon MetrologycorePartnership for distribution of Nikon metrology products in the Midwest region. McCrone Microscopes & Accessories serves as an authorized dealer for Nikon products.
- JEOLcoreLicensed distributor of JEOL NeoScope benchtop SEM products. Long-standing partnership including collaborative education efforts between JEOL USA and Hooke College of Applied Sciences.
- Hitachi High-TechcoreAuthorized distributor of Hitachi scanning electron microscopes including FlexSEM 1000 II and TM4000PlusIII/TM4000III tabletop SEMs.
- Hooke College of Applied SciencescoreEducation division of The McCrone Group providing microscopy training. Partnerships with Concordia University Chicago for degree programs and Aurora University for STEM workshops.
- Concordia University ChicagominorPartnership to offer a degree program in Chemical Microscopy - one of the nation's first programs in this field.
- Aurora UniversityminorPartnership for STEM workshop delivery through Hooke College of Applied Sciences.
- Timegate InstrumentscoreAuthorized distributor of Timegate Raman spectroscopy products including PicoRaman, ProbePro, and SampleCube systems.
- Pendar TechnologiescoreAuthorized distributor of Pendar M1 Portable Raman Microscope.
- National Institute of Justice (NIJ)coreNIJ grants have supported forensic scientist training at Hooke College of Applied Sciences, enabling nearly 100+ forensic scientists to receive specialized microscopy training.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The McCrone Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Thermo Fisher Scientific: Diversified analytical instrument manufacturer and contract lab services provider with overlapping exposure to electron microscopy, materials characterization, and pharmaceutical testing markets. Comparable due to its combined instrument-and-services footprint that mirrors McCrone's three-division model at vastly greater scale.
- Bruker: Manufacturer of advanced analytical instruments including X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and electron microscopy systems. Directly comparable as a supplier of the same class of tools that McCrone distributes and applies in its analytical lab.
- Carl Zeiss (ZEISS Microscopy): Premium microscopy and imaging systems manufacturer with broad coverage in optical and electron microscopy. Comparable as a competing supplier of the optical and electron microscopes that form the backbone of McCrone's lab services and distribution catalog.
- Eurofins Scientific: Global contract testing services network serving pharmaceutical, food, environmental, and forensic clients. Comparable as a competing outsourced analytical testing provider to many of the same regulated-industry buyers McCrone serves.
- Agilent Technologies: Analytical instrument and workflow solutions company with strong positions in spectroscopy and materials analysis. Comparable to McCrone in supplying advanced measurement instrumentation across pharma, food, and materials science customers.
- Leica Microsystems: Microscopy and imaging systems provider (Danaher subsidiary) covering optical and electron microscopy used across life science and materials analysis. Comparable as a competing supplier in the same microscopy OEM ecosystem in which McCrone distributes rival brands.
- Intertek: Global testing, inspection, and certification company with deep presence in materials and product testing. Comparable as a competing outsourced QA/QC and failure-analysis services provider for industrial customers.
- SGS: World-leading testing, inspection, and certification group operating laboratories in multiple end markets including industrial, life sciences, and consumer goods. Comparable as a competing contract laboratory services competitor to McCrone's analytical testing division.
Emerging players
- Charles River Laboratories: Contract research organization with end-to-end services for pharmaceutical and biotech clients, including laboratory testing components. Comparable as a CRO-style outsourced services provider operating in adjacent pharma-quality workstreams.
Others
- JEOL USA: U.S. subsidiary of JEOL Ltd., a leading electron microscope manufacturer and a McCrone distribution and training partner. Comparable as an instrument OEM and ecosystem participant — not a direct competitor, but a critical supplier and counterpart in the microscopy value chain McCrone operates in.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The McCrone Group social profiles
Digital presenceThe McCrone Group compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
The McCrone Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The McCrone Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
The McCrone Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
The McCrone Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The McCrone Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The McCrone Group
What does The McCrone Group do?
The McCrone Group operates three divisions: (1) McCrone Associates provides fee-for-service analytical laboratory testing including particle analysis, contamination identification, failure analysis, and materials characterization; (2) McCrone Microscopes & Accessories distributes scientific instruments from leading manufacturers; (3) Hooke College of Applied Sciences delivers professional microscopy training and workshops. The company is ISO/IEC 17025 accredited and serves pharmaceutical, forensic, food, and manufacturing industries.
Is The McCrone Group a public or private company?
The McCrone Group is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was The McCrone Group founded?
The McCrone Group was founded in 1956. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is The McCrone Group based?
The McCrone Group is headquartered in Westmont, United States, in the North America region.
How does The McCrone Group make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Analytical Laboratory Services are the primary driver. The others are instrument Sales and microscopy Training.
Who are The McCrone Group's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Thermo Fisher Scientific, Bruker, Carl Zeiss (ZEISS Microscopy), Eurofins Scientific, Agilent Technologies, Leica Microsystems, Intertek and SGS. Charles River Laboratories is listed as an emerging player. JEOL USA is listed as an others.
Does The McCrone Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for The McCrone Group.
What industry is The McCrone Group in?
The McCrone Group's product category is Analytical Laboratory Services & Microscopy Instrumentation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAAAE, Central Laboratory & Clinical Trial Testing CROs, with a secondary code of EDAGAGAG, Scientific & Laboratory Reference (Chemistry, Biology, Physics; Methods & Protocols). Its NAICS code is 54138 and its SIC code is 8734.