Association for Laboratory Automation Names Zymark CEO to Board of Directors.

Business Editors and Health/Medical Writers

HOPKINTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 3, 2003

Zymark Corporation, a leading provider of laboratory automation solutions, today announced the election of its president and CEO Kevin Hrusovsky to the Association of Laboratory Automation (ALA) Board of Directors. The ALA members elected Hrusovsky to the board based on his deep industry and organizational experience as the Association enters a critical phase in its development. The Zymark CEO will help position the ALA for continued success as it advances the worldwide utilization of automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence to improve the quality, efficiency, and relevance of laboratory analysis.

ALA President, Tony Beugelsdijk, Ph.D., M.B.A., Los Alamos National Laboratory, said, "We are extremely pleased that our ALA members have elected an executive of Kevin Hrusovsky's experience and stature to the ALA Board. His enthusiasm for the advances in lab automation, his expertise in linking science and business and his experience in serving on various boards will help advance the goals and mission of the ALA."

Hrusovsky is one of five industry leaders elected this year to the ALA board by the association's more than 1,300 members. He joins a distinguished group of experts on the board from organizations including Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Los Alamos National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The ALA recently expanded the board from four to nine directors as it moves from its founding phase into a more active role providing a focal point for all activities involving laboratory automation. The association keeps its members informed of the latest developments and products in laboratory automation, provides a forum for the newest ideas in the field and serves as a link between laboratories and industry. In addition, the ALA promotes the development of new automation technology by funding research and assisting innovative engineers in commercializing their inventions.

Hrusovsky's two-year appointment to the board will become official on January 31, 2003 at the Association for Laboratory Automation 2003 conference in Palm Springs, Calif. Hrusovsky will address the conference on Wednesday, February 5 on "The Evolution and Impact of Lab Automation in Drug Discovery."

Since his arrival at Zymark in 1996, Hrusovsky has worked to reposition the company, dramatically increasing its investment in research and development, as well as collaborative partnerships with a number of leading life sciences companies including Qiagen, Johnson & Johnson, Boehringer Ingelheim, and GeneProt. During his tenure at Zymark, the company has increased sales by more than 100 percent and launched 12 new lab automation products.

Hrusovsky and Zymark share the ALA's commitment to providing opportunities for scientists to meet, learn about advancements in the field and build links between academic laboratories and industry. For example, Hrusovsky has led the annual International Symposium on Laboratory Automation and Robotics (ISLAR), attracting top-notch academic and corporate scientists to address the conference. He also has worked with plastics and automotive trade associations and serves on the Board of Directors for Alliant Technologies Corporation.

Before joining Zymark, Hrusovsky served as director of International Business, Agricultural Chemical Division for FMC Corporation, president of FMC's Pharmaceutical Division and in various management positions at E.I. DuPont de Nemoirs.

Hrusovsky received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Ohio State University, an M.B.A. from Ohio State University, an Extended M.B.A. from Harvard University and an honorary doctorate from Framingham State University for his contribution in bringing together science and business. He lives in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, with his wife and two children.

About Zymark

Zymark is a leading provider of automation solutions serving the worldwide life science, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. The company has introduced new automation paradigms that have empowered scientists to raise laboratory research to a new, more industrialized level. With these advances, Zymark has firmly established itself as a solutions provider with a single-minded goal of streamlining the entire drug discovery pipeline. Zymark provides direct sales, service and applications support throughout the world and hosts the annual ISLAR conference on laboratory automation. For more information, visit http://www.zymark.com.