About
Morphix Technologies develops, manufactures and sells colorimetric chemical detection products used in over 40 countries around the world to save the lives of military, law enforcement, emergency response, and industrial personnel. Based in Virginia Beach, Virginia, with approximately 30 employees, Morphix Technologies works diligently to stay at the forefront of colorimetric detection solutions. It is this flexibility and longevity that makes Morphix a leader in its industry.
The Challenge
The Department of Defense portion of Morphix’s business was in decline. Company leaders decided to participate in an introductory Strategic Growth Workshop that was part of a selective program offered by GENEDGE, a NIST MEP affiliate, intended to identify companies in Virginia affected by sequestration cuts in defense spending. Morphix met the program’s criteria, and the workshop provided an overview of a structured process for generating strategic growth beyond the defense market. After the workshop, GENEDGE Growth Consultants selected Morphix to participate the program.
MEP’s Role
GENEDGE generated an assessment for Morphix using the CoreValue Assess® software tool to evaluate strategic gaps and opportunities and recommend a course of action. Morphix was considering developing a module for the testing of environmental contamination in soil, but was unsure of the overall opportunity and needs within the market. GENEDGE provided market research, supplier scouting, strategic alignment, and value chain optimization services to Morphix to help the company launch the new product line.
Market research provided Morphix with clarity and prioritization on the types of environmental contaminants for detection and the estimated product price point for testing in non-DoD markets. In addition, GENEDGE provided information on the remediation and clean-up market, allowing Morphix to focus their development efforts. Supplier scouting research helped Morphix identify three target companies that could provide a key technology necessary for further development of a new industry-changing product. Morphix’s leadership and key employees participated in a strategic alignment training to identify the company’s relevance in certain market spaces, along with gaps that could lead to new products geared toward high-growth industries. On-site process development experts assisted Morphix in developing a Rapid Delivery Cell to meet surge capacity on the Trace-X product line targeted primarily at first responders and law enforcement customers. Morphix is now pursuing the development of additional new products with anticipated future sales in the millions of dollars.
Results
$475K estimated sales impact
$110K estimated cost-savings
$85K planned/estimated investment
Addition of 5 new jobs anticipated
Increased capacity by 300% on one product line