Sarstedt celebrates 50 years in US

Brett Bartles, CEO and president of Sarstedt, thanked area customers as well as local government and business partners for their continued support. Bartles noted Sarstedt’s continued growth, announcing the recent purchase of over 48 acres of land on Shea Road in Newton to support future business needs.

Lindsay Keisler, president and CEO of The Chamber of Catawba County, was the keynote speaker at the luncheon. Keisler spoke about Sarstedt’s contributions to medicine and laboratory research around the world and congratulated the employees and team members who have been a part of the company’s success.

Rainer Schuster, Executive Board Member of Sarstedt’s parent company Sarstedt AG & Co. KG, presented Carolina Caring with a $50,000 donation, saying, “Through the years, Carolina Caring has become a valued resource both locally and regionally for comprehensive serious illness care including palliative medicine services as well as primary care for those who have debilitating medical conditions.”

Referencing the company’s “high awareness of social responsibility,” Schuster also presented the City of Newton Fire Department with a $25,000 donation, commenting on their excellent service to the community over the years and citing a need for additional rescue equipment.

Special recognition went to Peter Rumswinkel, former CEO and president of Sarstedt, who will retire at the end of 2023. Keisler applauded Rumswinkel’s leadership as a pioneer and advocate of apprenticeship in Catawba County. Rumswinkel began his career at Sarstedt as an apprentice in Germany 45 years ago, and under his leadership Sarstedt is a founding member of the Catawba Apprenticeship Network, a four-year program providing academic and technical training.

Sarstedt also hosted an evening event and family day for employees in recognition of their contribution to the company’s success.

Sarstedt Inc. is a subsidiary of Sarstedt AG & Co. KG, founded by Walter Sarstedt in Nümbrecht, Germany, in 1961. A pioneer in plastic labware and innovative blood collection systems, the Sarstedt Group is now one of the world’s leading providers of devices and consumables for medicine and science. The family-owned company is now in its second generation.

In 1973 the first U.S. location was founded in Princeton, New Jersey. In response to a rapidly growing customer base, Princeton operations were relocated to Newton, where U.S. production was established in 1987. The Newton campus has undergone significant expansions since that time, including the addition of a state-of-the-art logistics center in 2012 and a $6 million production renovation in 2017.

Sarstedt currently employs approximately 250 people in the U.S., primarily at the Newton facility.

Customers include reference labs such as LabCorp and Quest Diagnostics, biotech companies such as Quidel Corporation, and numerous hospitals and research institutes including Johns Hopkins, Boston Children’s, UNC Health Caldwell, Catawba Valley Medical Center and Frye Regional Medical Center.