Mercedes Scientific
Mercedes Scientific is a privately held, woman-owned laboratory supply distributor founded in 1991, serving roughly 9,000 clinical, histology, toxicology, drug-testing, and research laboratories across the United States with a catalog of 30,000 products spanning 20 scientific disciplines, supplemented by proprietary branded product lines and a recent pharmaceutical (RX) expansion.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersRiver Ranch, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Mercedes Scientific does
Mercedes Scientific is a privately held, woman-owned laboratory supply distributor founded in 1991 and headquartered in Lakewood Ranch, Florida. The company distributes approximately 30,000 products across 20 scientific disciplines to hospital pathology departments, reference laboratories, physician offices, drug-testing and toxicology programs, research institutions, and veterinary pathology labs. Its proprietary branded lines include the ClearRapids multi-panel urine drug test cups with integrated ETG alcohol and fentanyl detection, BluDraw and BluWing Advanced safety needles for blood collection, SubXero tissue freezing medium for cryosectioning, and Starfrost adhesive microscope slides. In addition to these captive products, the platform distributes more than 20 third-party brands including BD, Wondfo, Greiner Bio-One, Millipore Sigma, Restek, Nest Scientific, Globe Scientific, Simport, and Tanner Scientific. The April 2025 acquisition of Bell Medical Services added pharmaceutical (RX) products and a Northeast regional hub in Marlboro Township, New Jersey.
Mercedes Scientific generates revenue primarily through one-time distribution sales of laboratory consumables, reagents, chemicals, PPE, specimen collection supplies, drug-testing products, and histology consumables, supplemented by hardware sales and servicing of histology instrumentation through a dedicated histologyequipment.com channel. Pricing is quote-based and tiered, with standard SKU pricing on the public e-commerce site, custom corporate account pricing with PO billing, credit terms, preferred shipping, dedicated sales representatives, and rebate programs tied to annual purchases. The Care Concierge program proactively reviews customer supply lists and is reported to reduce consumables spend by 20–35%, while a 15% first-order discount (code WELCOME15) is used to onboard new business accounts. Distribution is direct-to-buyer, primarily through the company's own e-commerce platform and an inside/field sales team, with no apparent third-party reseller layer; 95% of orders ship the same day from consolidated warehouses.
The company is led by CEO Alex Miller (since 2003) and founder/chairwoman Noelle Haft, with Andy Wright as President overseeing supplier partnerships and an international sourcing network, Troy Barnett as COO/CFO leading M&A, and Katie Chiaro as CFO. The company has been recognized twice on the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies in America and has remained privately held and bootstrapped through retained earnings, with the 2025 Bell Medical transaction marking its first disclosed acquisition.
Mercedes Scientific firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Mercedes Scientific
- Legal name
- Mercedes Scientific
- Website
- https://mercedesscientific.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Mercedes Scientific is a privately held, woman-owned laboratory supply distributor founded in 1991, serving roughly 9,000 clinical, histology, toxicology, drug-testing, and research laboratories across the United States with a catalog of 30,000 products spanning 20 scientific disciplines, supplemented by proprietary branded product lines and a recent pharmaceutical (RX) expansion.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Mercedes Scientific industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Laboratory Supplies Distribution
- NAICS
- Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing (3391)
- SIC
- Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Wholesale-Drugs, Proprietaries & Druggists' Sundries (5122)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Laboratory Consumables & Plasticware (Tips, Tubes, Plates, Filters) (HLAGAIAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Analytical Instruments & Chromatography Systems (HLAGAIAA), Clinical Research & Trial Central Laboratories (HLAFAMAL), Test, Measurement & Lab Equipment Retail (CRACAKAH)
Keywords
Where Mercedes Scientific is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- River Ranch
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Mercedes Scientific business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Laboratory Consumables Distribution: Core revenue stream from distribution of laboratory supplies including reagents, chemicals, consumables, PPE, specimen collection supplies, drug testing products, and histology consumables. Products sold from own inventory with same-day or next-day shipping.
- Equipment Sales and Service: Sale and servicing of histology equipment through histologyequipment.com. Includes microtome blades, equipment maintenance, and related instrumentation.
- Pharmaceutical (RX) Medical Products: Revenue from pharmaceutical/prescription medical products added through the acquisition of Bell Medical Services in April 2025, serving the Northeast region and expanding the company's RX catalog.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard consumer e-commerce pricing for unregistered guests |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Registered corporate/business account pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Mercedes Scientific product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Mercedes Scientific is a national distributor of laboratory supplies, consumables, reagents, histology equipment, drug-testing products, safety needles, microscope slides, and pharmaceutical (RX) medical products serving clinical, reference, hospital, research, forensic, and physician-office laboratories across the United States. The company also sells and services histology instrumentation and operates proprietary branded product lines including ClearRapids drug test cups, BluDraw safety needles, BluWing Advanced butterfly needles, and SubXero tissue freezing medium.
Product overview
Mercedes Scientific operates a multi-brand laboratory supplies distribution platform serving clinical, histology, toxicology, drug screening, and analytical chemistry markets. The platform distributes proprietary product lines (ClearRapids® drug testing cups, BluDraw™ safety needles, BluWing Advanced® butterfly needles, SubXero® tissue freezing medium, reagent alcohols, formalin solutions, microscope slides) alongside 20+ third-party brands including BD, Wondfo, Heathrow Scientific, Millipore Sigma, Restek, Nest Scientific, Globe Scientific, Simport, Greiner Bio-One, EK Industries, Healgen Scientific, Thermo Scientific, and Tanner Scientific. The April 2025 acquisition of Bell Medical Services added pharmaceutical (RX) products and a Northern region physical location. The company offers approximately 30,000 products serving 9,000 laboratories and 58,000 scientists across the United States.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ClearRapids®: Brand of urine drug test cups including 12-panel and 14-panel configurations with ETG and fentanyl detection for forensic use applications.
- BluDraw™
- SubXero®
- BluWing Advanced®
- Tanner Scientific®
- Mercedes Medical, Inc.
Products and services
- ClearRapids® Urine Drug Test Cups
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 40% cost savings on microtome blade purchases compared to Leica, Thermo Scientific, and Sakura premium brands
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Mercedes Scientific
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Mercedes Scientific technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Mercedes Scientific partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Bell Medical ServicescoreMercedes Scientific acquired Bell Medical Services in April 2025 as a strategic merger to expand product offerings and enhance service delivery for healthcare professionals. The acquisition adds pharmaceutical (RX) products to Mercedes Scientific's catalog, deepens Northeast regional presence (New Jersey location), and leverages combined distribution centers and operational efficiencies to better serve laboratories and healthcare providers nationwide.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Mercedes Scientific competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Daigger Scientific: Laboratory supplies and equipment distributor focused on life science, clinical, and educational research customers. Comparable mid-size, multi-brand catalog distribution model targeting similar end markets as Mercedes Scientific.
- Capitol Scientific: Independent laboratory supplies distributor serving clinical, research, and industrial customers with multi-brand catalogs. Closely comparable business model and customer segments to Mercedes Scientific.
- Thomas Scientific: Independent U.S. distributor of laboratory supplies, equipment, and consumables to clinical, research, and industrial customers. Closely comparable in scale and customer mix to Mercedes Scientific's core multi-brand distribution business.
- Midwest Scientific: Independent laboratory distributor serving clinical and research labs with consumables, reagents, and equipment. Closely comparable distribution-led model to Mercedes Scientific's core operations.
Broad incumbents
- Henry Schein: Large healthcare and laboratory distribution platform. Comparable to Mercedes Scientific's medical supply distribution model, with strengths in physician-office labs and dental markets where Mercedes Scientific also competes.
- Thermo Fisher Scientific: Operates the Fisher Scientific channel, the largest laboratory supplies and equipment distributor globally. Overlaps with Mercedes Scientific across nearly every product category it sells but at vastly greater scale and with proprietary brands.
- Avantor (VWR): Global distributor of laboratory supplies and equipment to clinical and research customers through the VWR brand. Directly comparable to Mercedes Scientific's histology, clinical, and consumables offering, with a much broader catalog and international footprint.
Emerging players
- Globe Scientific: Manufacturer and distributor of plastic laboratory consumables including tubes, pipette tips, and specimen containers. Comparable in product overlap (Mercedes Scientific distributes Globe Scientific branded products) and serves overlapping clinical/research customers.
- Simport Scientific: Manufacturer of histology consumables (tissue cassettes, biopsy pads, cytology funnels) and plastic labware. Strong overlap with Mercedes Scientific's histology segment; Mercedes Scientific already distributes the Simport brand.
Regional players
- Starlab International: European-headquartered manufacturer and distributor of laboratory consumables (pipette tips, tubes, gloves). Comparable in product line to Mercedes Scientific's consumables focus but primarily serves European rather than U.S. markets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Mercedes Scientific social profiles
Digital presenceMercedes Scientific financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Mercedes Scientific leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Mercedes Scientific subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Mercedes Scientific funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Mercedes Scientific M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Mercedes Scientific
What does Mercedes Scientific do?
Mercedes Scientific is a national distributor of laboratory supplies, consumables, reagents, histology equipment, drug-testing products, safety needles, microscope slides, and pharmaceutical (RX) medical products serving clinical, reference, hospital, research, forensic, and physician-office laboratories across the United States. The company also sells and services histology instrumentation and operates proprietary branded product lines including ClearRapids drug test cups, BluDraw safety needles, BluWing Advanced butterfly needles, and SubXero tissue freezing medium.
Is Mercedes Scientific a public or private company?
Mercedes Scientific is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Mercedes Scientific founded?
Mercedes Scientific was founded in 1991. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Mercedes Scientific based?
Mercedes Scientific is headquartered in River Ranch, United States, in the North America region.
How does Mercedes Scientific make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Laboratory Consumables Distribution is the primary driver. The others are equipment Sales and Service and pharmaceutical (RX) Medical Products.
Who are Mercedes Scientific's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Daigger Scientific, Capitol Scientific, Thomas Scientific and Midwest Scientific. Broad incumbents are Henry Schein, Thermo Fisher Scientific and Avantor (VWR). Emerging players are Globe Scientific and Simport Scientific. Starlab International is listed as a regional player.
Does Mercedes Scientific have an API?
No public API is recorded for Mercedes Scientific.
What industry is Mercedes Scientific in?
Mercedes Scientific's product category is Laboratory Supplies Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAIAH, Laboratory Consumables & Plasticware (Tips, Tubes, Plates, Filters), with a secondary code of HLAGAIAA, Analytical Instruments & Chromatography Systems. Its NAICS code is 334516 and its SIC code is 3826.