(PRWEB) March 20, 2005 -- Nanotech-America (NTA, Allen, TX) is a unique organization which provides full service administration, technical support, sales and marketing services to our Russian strategic partner, NT-MDT (Zelenograd, Moscow), a well-known manufacturer of atomic force and scanning probe microscopes and related technology.

The history of off-shore companies trying to penetrate the US market is littered with lost investment, agonizingly slow market penetration, and failed efforts. In sharp distinction, the NTA/NT-MDT strategic relationship is a success story. Three key factors support that success:

- Extensive experience in the market from the NTA management team and, specifically, in business development for US support of international firms,
- NTA’s robust national technical support program, and
- the strong commitment and expansive technical support provided by Dr. Sergey Saunin, NT-MDT’s VP R&D and the Russian liaison to NTA.

With an installed base of over 500 systems world-wide, NT-MDT is well-known on the international scene. Their microscopes are key to the research conducted at highly prestigious facilities such as the Planck Institute in Germany, the Weizman Institute in Israel, and the Dutch Polymer Institute in the Netherlands. However, they have not had a significant presence in the US market until their partnership with NTA.

NTA’s charter extends far beyond the normal distributor. In addition to sales, the group is responsible for general and financial management, technical and applications support, and an aggressive marketing program that includes tradeshows, advertising, editorial coverage, and promotion.

Dr. Kenneth Piel is both President and CFO at NTA. Additionally, he manages Nanotechnology Instruments of America (NTIA), a sister organization founded specifically to oversee and facilitate NT-MDT’s OEM business in the US. For the past 8 years, he has been integrally involved in microscopy business development as a key partner and CFO for Microscopy/Marketing and Education, Inc. (MME, Allen, TX) a strategic consulting company specializing in market research and new product launches focused specifically on microscopy and related imaging.

NTA’s marketing program is outsourced Microscopy/Marketing & Education, Inc. MME president, Barbara Foster, directs that effort and serves as NTA’s VP Marketing. Well- known throughout the microscope and imaging industry, she brings over 20 years’ experience in strategic business development and successful new product launches. Her client list includes Media Cybernetics, General Scanning, Optical Insights, Waterloo Scientific, Nikon, Zygo, and Zeiss. Most recently, she launched CytoViva for the innovative technology transfer company, Aetos Technologies, Inc. (Opelika, AL).

VP Sales, Marshall Bates, Jr., manages a sales network comprised of approximately 20 independent representatives who blanket the country. Mr. Bates knows the industry well: he has served as VP Sales and marketing for several other microscopy companies including ElectroScan, pioneer in low pressure scanning electron microscopy, now part of FEI, and Zygo, industry leader in scanning white light interferometry.

The Allen facility houses an Applications Laboratory which oversees technical support throughout the US. Dr. Kim Kangasniemi manages the Allen lab and coordinates technical support nationwide. He holds two masters degrees, one in coating technology and one in which he used scanning tunneling microscopy to image functional groups on organic molecules, as well as PhD in Chemistry, in which instrument design was a key component. Dr. Kangasniemi is ably assisted by Andrey Krayev, a polymer specialist located in California, and Dr. Yuri Bobrov, a renowned thin film specialist who will support the Northeast.

To learn more about NTA and the exciting AFM/Scanning probe technologies from NT-MDT, visit www.nt-america.com.

Nanotech-America is the sole US distributor for the family of scanning probe microscopes and accessories available through NT-MDT (Zelenograd, Russia). Located in the North Dallas Metroplex (Allen, TX), it provides sales, marketing, and technical support for the entire US. Their website is www.nt-america.com

NT-MDT manufactures a full line of scanning probe microscopes, starting with the portable, table-top SMENA and extending through the most advanced, integrated nanolabs and Raman confocal/afm systems. Their website is www.nt-mdt.com.