The Trajan Story: Extraordinary Inspiration from an Ordinary Life
How Trajan’s Stephen and Angela Tomisich took inspiration from everyday life back in 2011 to build a global enterprise. Thirteen years later, the company is entering an exciting new chapter with its acquisition of Axel Semrau and the launch of its CHRONOS software.
| 3 min read | Interview
sponsored by Trajan
With Stephen Tomisich, CEO and Managing Director, Trajan Scientific and Medical
Could you tell us about the origins of Trajan?
Trajan Scientific and Medical was founded by my wife, Angela, and I in 2011. With backgrounds in analytical chemistry and biomedical science, and combined experience of over 50 years in the global analytical science industry, we were determined to build a company that could deliver positive impact through science. The company name was chosen around the family kitchen table – it stems from our daughter’s interest in history. Trajan was the thirteenth – and arguably most successful – Roman emperor; building infrastructure and doing social good. The name complimented our focus on enriching personal health through the development and manufacture of scientific tools and solutions enabling extraction of quantitative information from biological and environmental samples. Trajan’s purpose is to support science that benefits people; we have a portfolio and pipeline of new technologies that support the move towards decentralized and personalized data-based healthcare.
Trajan has grown rapidly since 2011… Can you share the major milestones and challenges – and your secrets to success?
Our milestones are linked to our acquisition and collaboration strategy as we’ve built a global enterprise. That’s not to say that the signing of an agreement or partnership was the milestone; rather, it is the opportunities gained as we grow and add new capacity, technologies, and reach to our business. Indeed, we’re now a global organization of more than 600 people, with manufacturing and operations sites across the US, Australia, Europe and Asia, With that growth, you have to balance investment. We have consistently reinvested profits back into the business to build infrastructure and the right team to support future growth. Getting that balance right without putting the business under financial stress and dealing with growth pains can be a challenge!
But we’ve tried to focus on purpose – living by our values. It might sound esoteric, but it isn’t, building a team with an aligned sense of purpose and an adherence to values, provides direction and builds momentum.
What does the acquisition of Axel Semrau mean for the future of Trajan?
The acquisition of Axel Semrau gives Trajan full access to the CHRONOS Software, which is the heart of automated workflows developed by Trajan. Offering complete workflow solutions, including automation hardware, special consumables, application specific data analysis software, and a complete range of services, such as training, factory acceptance testing (FAT), site acceptance testing (SAT), and maintenance, allows Trajan to have a greater impact in the areas where we are active. The Axel Semrau portfolio was a direct complement to some of the adjacent Trajan acquisitions, most notably the US-based LEAP and Leap Pal Parts acquisitions. Axel Semrau brings a more in-depth customer interaction in Europe, while extending our capabilities in key application areas. Having a positive impact on human wellbeing is the fundamental purpose of Trajan business activities and the acquisition of Axel Semrau helps make this vision a reality.
Tell me about CHRONECT; what makes this especially exciting?
The trademark CHRONECT was developed while waiting at a train station after an exciting meeting with a customer in Hamburg. Energized by the enthusiastic customer feedback, the idea of CHRONECT was born. It describes in one word the concept of Trajan workflow solutions. Using the CHRONOS software Trajan CONNECTS different hardware modules, application specific consumables, special data analysis tools, and all the services needed to deliver a complete workflow. This enables our customers to solve analytical problems and generate data more effectively than before. Our slogan “We CHRONECT your lab” means close cooperation with customers, innovative solutions, and brings Trajan’s vision “science that benefits people” to the automation business.
Overall, what are your main ambitions for Trajan in the coming years?
We want to continue to build our global team. Angela and I are humbled by the incredibly talented group of people who have chosen to build their careers with us and align to the vision. In short, we want to deliver a positive impact to human health on an ever-increasing scale.
