Cole-Parmer

Cole-Parmer is a scientific and industrial instrument distributor located at 625 E. Bunker CT, Vernon Hills IL.

They are a business unit of Thermo Fisher Scientific.

History

Jerry Cole and John Parmer founded Cole-Parmer in 1955 and took up shop in a 1,200-square-foot (110 m²) loft on West Illinois Street in downtown Chicago.

One the largest contribution of Cole-Parmer to the industry was made was in the marketing and advertising. The Cole-Parmer catalog was the first in 4-color at a time when most catalogs were still black and white. This change made the business became an industry leader within a direct mail business model.

The company’s steady growth allowed Cole-Parmer to expand to a 12,000-square-foot (1,100 m²) location in 1960, and to a 47,000-square-foot (4,400 m²) facility eight years later. That same year, Cole-Parmer acquired the world-renowned Masterflex® peristaltic pumps—which was followed by the purchases of Gilmont® Instruments and Manostat® Pumps.

They were acquired by Fisher Scientific, now Thermo-Fisher Scientific, in 2001

Business Model

Domestically, Cole-Parmer operates primarily as a business-to-business distributor. Demand is generated through the publication of a bi-annual general catalog and a number of specialogs. Sales are conducted through inbound calls, direct internet transactions, and direct sales. They recently began offering some products on Amazon.com.

Internationally, Cole-Parmer distributes product through company owned offices in Montreal, Canada, Shanghai, China, London, England and Mumbai, India. The balance of international sales are through partnerships with independent dealers throughout the globe. Sales are conducted through outside sales and internet transactions.

Product Offering

Cole-Pamer offers a variety of consumable and durable products. Many of their products are related to fluid-handling or electrochemistry. Cole-Parmer also offers calibration and instrument repairs.

Value Proposition

Cole-Parmer competes on service. This includes telephone and internet customer service, product application support, a broad and unique product selection and a warranty and returns policy. They offer a number of unique service features including real-time chat.