Company was founded in southern California in 1965 by athletics star, and has jumped plenty of hurdles since
McBain Instruments is celebrating its 40th anniversary.
The privately held firm has served the industrial, biomedical and life sciences markets since 1965 from its San Fernando Valley location in southern California.
The company was founded by Carl McBain, a UCLA graduate and All-American track star who, in 1940, won the National AAU Championship in the 400-metre intermediate hurdles in a then American record time of 51.6 seconds, the fastest time in the world that year.
Starting with microscope service and repair, McBain quickly added a sales division and shortly thereafter began engineering custom imaging systems.
A portion of the company was sold in 1983 to Warner-Lambert, while McBain retained the sales and distribution segments.
Pioneering optical designs and creative technical expertise have been the hallmark for McBain Instruments over the past 40 years, it says.
Today, McBain remains active in the business, consulting with the current president and CEO, Michael Crump, who joined the company in 1997.
"McBain Instruments has quietly become the premier supplier of advanced imaging and microscopy systems," notes Crump.
"We are breaking new ground with a variety of new instruments for industrial inspection and live-cell biological research.
"Our 40 years of experience gives us a tremendous advantage in the microscopy industry.
"Our custom engineering and imaging design services and capabilities lead the way in providing new solutions for microscopy applications and challenges."
