International Equipment Trading

What International Equipment Trading does

International Equipment Trading Ltd. (IET), founded in 1979 and headquartered in Mundelein, Illinois, is a privately held specialty reseller and refurbisher of pre-owned laboratory analytical instruments. The company sources, refurbishes to original manufacturer specifications, and resells equipment including mass spectrometers (orbitraps, triple quadrupoles, MALDI-TOF, timsTOF), HPLC/UHPLC systems, NMR spectrometers and probes, FT-IR, GC, ICP, UV-Vis spectrophotometers, electron microscopes, X-ray systems, and supporting lab infrastructure such as balances, evaporators, and centrifuges. Inventory spans 1,127 active SKUs across 20+ categories, drawn from premier OEMs including Agilent, Thermo Fisher, Sciex, Waters, Bruker, Perkin Elmer, Shimadzu, Hitachi, and JEOL, with warranties ranging from 90 days to two years and a money-back guarantee.

IET's revenue model combines one-time equipment sales with recurring service contracts (preventative maintenance, IQ/OQ validation, on-site repair), rental and lease programs, trade-in transactions, and parts/exchange services, allowing customers to choose between purchase and usage-based acquisition. Pricing is quote-based, with refurbished units offered at up to 70% below new-equipment list price. The go-to-market is direct: an e-commerce website with request-for-quote functionality, toll-free and international phone sales, email inquiry, on-site training at the Mundelein headquarters, and conference participation (notably ASMS and Pittcon). Distribution is global, supported by relationships with original manufacturers for service coverage in the US and overseas.

The customer base is segmented horizontally across independent testing laboratories, small and large industrial firms (pharmaceutical, environmental, quality control), government and private research institutions, and universities. The firm does not disclose named customer logos, revenue, headcount figures, funding history, or ownership changes; it appears to be an independent, founder/family-controlled business operating continuously since 1979 with a niche-focused, asset-light model centered on instrument refurbishment expertise and multi-channel direct sales.

Name

International Equipment Trading

Legal name

International Equipment Trading Ltd.

Website

https://ietltd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

International Equipment Trading is a privately held, Illinois-based reseller and refurbisher founded in 1979, supplying pre-owned and certified analytical laboratory instruments (mass spectrometers, HPLC, NMR, electron microscopes) plus service and leasing to independent labs, industry, research institutions, and universities worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refurbished Analytical Laboratory Instruments

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance (811210)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Wholesale-Industrial Machinery & Equipment (5084)

akta.pro primary industry

Maintenance, Service Contracts & Equipment Repair (Field Service, Parts) (HLAGAIAN)

Keywords

• Refurbished lab equipment
• Analytical instruments
• Mass spectrometry systems
• HPLC instruments
• Laboratory equipment leasing

Headquarters

HQ city

Mundelein

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, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Equipment Sales: One-time sales of refurbished and new laboratory equipment including mass spectrometers, HPLC systems, NMR spectrometers, and analytical instruments.
2. Equipment Rental: Laboratory equipment rental services with flexible terms for short-term and long-term needs.
3. Equipment Leasing: Lease arrangements tailored to customer financial situations with flexible payment programs.
4. Trade-In Services: Customers can trade in underutilized lab equipment when purchasing refurbished equipment.
5. Service Contracts: Yearly service contracts with preventative maintenance visits, on-site repair, IQ/OQ validation, and method development services.
6. Parts and Exchange: Supply of parts and complete systems with repair services for parts on an exchange basis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

International Equipment Trading Ltd. (IET) refurbishes, resells, and services pre-owned analytical laboratory instruments including mass spectrometers, HPLC/UHPLC systems, NMR spectrometers and probes, GC, FT-IR, UV-Vis, ICP spectrometers, electron microscopes, and X-ray equipment sourced from major manufacturers. Equipment is refurbished to meet original manufacturer specifications, backed by warranties from 90 days to two years, and offered with flexible acquisition options including purchase, rental, lease, and trade-in alongside service contracts and preventative maintenance.

Product overview

International Equipment Trading Ltd. operates as a specialized reseller and refurbisher of pre-owned laboratory analytical instruments, offering a comprehensive portfolio of equipment across multiple categories. The core offerings include mass spectrometry systems (orbitraps, triple-quadrupoles, MALDI-TOF, timsTOF), NMR spectrometers and probes (Bruker, Varian, Nalorac), HPLC/UHPLC systems, FT-IR and UV-Vis spectrophotometers, gas chromatographs, elemental analyzers, and ICP spectrometers. Supporting lab infrastructure includes Mettler Toledo balances, Labconco evaporators, centrifuges (Eppendorf), and nitrogen generators. The company provides equipment service contracts, preventative maintenance, installation, training, and flexible rental/lease/purchase financing options. All equipment undergoes IET's certified refurbishment process to meet original manufacturer specifications, backed by warranties from 90 days to two years. The company serves independent labs, pharmaceutical, environmental, research institutions, and universities globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Refurbished Mass Spectrometers

Quantifiable outcome

• Save up to 70% off new equipment prices
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 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

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ASMS (American Society for Mass Spectrometry)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerIET is associated with ASMS as an exhibitor and participant in the annual ASMS conference for mass spectrometry.
• PittconminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIET maintains a partnership with Pittcon, a laboratory science conference and exposition.
• Thermo Fisher ScientificcoreTechnology or IntegrationMajor equipment manufacturer whose products IET refurbishes and resells. IET provides independent and original manufacturers' service support.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Agilent Technologies: OEM of mass spectrometers, HPLCs, and GC systems that constitute core IET inventory. Potential direct overlap if Agilent expands certified pre-owned offerings.
• Bruker Corporation: OEM of NMR spectrometers, MALDI-TOF, and timsTOF instruments that IET refurbishes and resells, with overlapping customer base in academic and pharma research.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Major OEM whose instruments (Orbitrap, Exploris, Q-Exactive) IET refurbishes and resells. Operates certified pre-owned programs that overlap with IET's value proposition at a much larger scale.
• Waters Corporation: OEM of HPLC/UHPLC and mass spectrometry systems (e.g., Acquity Arc) prominent in IET's catalog. Comparable buyer base in regulated analytical labs.
• Avantor: Large distributor of laboratory supplies and equipment (including VWR) serving the same independent-lab, academic, and industrial buyer base as IET. Provides channel-based competition for broader lab procurement budgets.

Direct peers

• New Life Scientific: Specializes in buying, refurbishing, and reselling used laboratory equipment including analytical instruments. Overlapping supply-and-demand flywheel and customer base with IET.
• Conquer Scientific: Refurbisher and reseller of pre-owned analytical instruments (mass specs, HPLCs, GCs) serving academic and industrial labs. Closely comparable product mix and target customer base to IET.
• Cape Fear Analytical: Refurbished analytical instrument dealer with comparable categories (mass spectrometry, HPLC, GC) and similar focus on cost-conscious academic and industrial buyers.
• American Laboratory Trading: One of the largest direct competitors in refurbished analytical laboratory instruments, with overlapping mass spectrometry, HPLC, and microscopy offerings. Operates a similar buy-sell-trade model targeting independent labs, universities, and industrial buyers in North America.

Others

• LabX: Online marketplace aggregating listings of new, used, and refurbished laboratory equipment from many sellers. Acts as an indirect channel and pricing reference for IET's offerings.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/iet_ltd
• Facebookfacebook.com/InternationalEquipmentTrading
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iet-international-equipment-trading-ltd-

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 International Equipment Trading