Ticker symbol: BLUD

Where traded: Nasdaq

Chief executive: Gioacchino De Chirico

Headquarters: Norcross

Business summary: Immucor develops, manufactures and markets a complete line of blood reagents and automated systems used in blood banks, hospitals and clinical labs to test human blood prior to transfusion

De Chirico recently talked about his company and its outlook.

Q. Your Web site says Immucor revolutionized the blood bank industry. How did you do this?

A. We believe we have revolutionized the blood bank industry by bringing automation into blood banks. Our Galileo system can process up to 224 different samples at once, and can perform approximately 70 type-and-screen tests an hour.

Our newest, smaller instrument – the Echo, introduced in 2007 – can process up to 20 different samples at a time, and can perform approximately 14 type-and-screen tests an hour. The Echo is a very important step forward because its size and price make it suitable for most small- to medium-sized hospitals, the largest segment of the blood banking industry, numbering about 6,000 worldwide.

Q. Your company has really grown. Do you plan more acquisitions?

A. In March, we announced the proposed acquisition of BioArray Solutions, an early-stage company that has developed a system that uses genotyping to test for certain blood antigens that are not easy to test for using conventional blood testing technology. We are regularly presented with acquisition opportunities, but have not announced any other acquisitions.

Q: What is there about your business strategy that resulted in a Top 10 performance?

A. We adhere very closely to our goal to increase our share of the worldwide blood banking market by automating blood bank laboratories. We also have the most talented, experienced management group assembled in the industry.

Q: One result of the mortgage crisis was a virtual cutoff in credit in the broader financial markets. How has this affected your operations or planning? How have you responded?

A. Given our strong financial results, we have not had to rely on credit markets. At Feb. 29, 2008, the end of our third fiscal quarter, we had $163 million in cash and essentially no debt.

Q: One source of strength for many companies hurt by the domestic economy has been the growth of foreign economies. Is this an area for future growth?

A. Most of our revenues and earnings are generated in the United States. Outside the U.S., we sell products mainly in Canada and Western Europe. For the nine months ended Feb. 29, 2008, our net sales in the U.S. and those areas were as follows: U.S., $151 million; Canada, $11.1 million; Western Europe, $33.4 million. We sell our products worldwide and our goal is to improve our overseas performance. We have recently taken a number of steps to do that, including going direct in some countries, instead of relying on distributors, and revamping our management in Europe.

– Bill Hendrick