Item 1. BUSINESS

OVERVIEW

Bio-Techne and its subsidiaries, collectively doing business as Bio-Techne (Bio-Techne, we, our, us or the Company) develop, manufacture and sell biotechnology reagents, instruments and clinical diagnostic products worldwide. With our deep product portfolio and application expertise, Bio-Techne is a leader in providing specialized proteins, including cytokines and growth factors, antibodies, related immunoassays, biologically active small molecules and other reagents to the research, diagnostics and clinical controls markets. With recent acquisitions, we also support our customers with instrumentation designed to simplify key protein analysis processes.

A Minneapolis, Minnesota-based company, Bio-Techne originally was founded as Research and Diagnostic Systems, Inc. (R&D Systems) in 1976. Techne Corporation, a public entity at the time, acquired R&D Systems in 1985 and through this action made R&D Systems a public company. The initial products focused on the hematology blood controls and calibrators market but soon expanded through the creation of the Biotechnology Division to include reagents used in life science research. We further expanded the product portfolio through a series of acquisitions, including, the Amgen Inc. research business in 1991, the Genzyme Corporation research business in 1998, Fortron Bio Science, Inc. and BiosPacific, Inc. (BiosPacific) in 2005, and Boston Biochem, Inc. and Tocris Holdings Limited (Tocris) in 2011. In fiscal 2014, we strengthened our Clinical Controls solutions by acquiring Bionostics Holdings Limited (Bionostics). We also increased our Biotechnology segment offerings through the acquisition of Shanghai-based PrimeGene Bio-Tech Co. (PrimeGene) and Novus Biologicals LLC (Novus Biologicals) in 2014. Also in 2014, we acquired ProteinSimple and CyVek, Inc., both with innovative instrument platforms useful for protein analysis, and which together form our new Protein Platforms segment. Following the 2015 fiscal year, in July 2015, we acquired Cliniqa Corporation, which specializes in the manufacturing and commercialization of quality controls and calibrators as well as bulk reagents used in the clinical diagnostic market to further expand and complement our Clinical Controls solutions. With these recent investments, we are able to scale our business and expand our product portfilio as well as geographic markets.

Recognizing the importance of a unified and global approach to meeting our mission and accomplishing our strategies, in fiscal 2014 we implemented a new global brand, Bio-Techne. In November 2014 we also changed the name of the parent corporation from Techne Corporation to Bio-Techne Corporation. The Bio-Techne name is derived from the Greek words “Bio,” or “life,” and “Techne,” or “the application of knowledge to practical matters.” The combination of these words and their meanings capture the essence of Bio-Techne, its products and mission. The Bio-Techne name solidifies the new strategic direction for the Company, and also unifies all of our brands under one complete portfolio.

We operate globally, with offices in multiple locations in the United States, Europe and China. Today, our product line extends to over 275,000 products with state of the art facilities to accommodate many of our manufacturing needs.

We are committed to providing the life sciences community with innovative, high-quality scientific tools to better understand biological processes and drive discovery. We intend to build on Bio-Techne’s past accomplishments, high quality reputation and sound financial position by executing strategies that position us to become the standard for biological content in the research market, and to leverage that leadership position to enter the diagnostics and other adjacent markets. Our strategies include:

		Continued innovation in core products. Through collaborations with key opinion leaders and participation in scientific discussions and associations, we expect to leverage our continued significant investment in our research and development activities to be first-to-market with quality products that are at the leading edge of life science researchers’ needs.

		Investments in targeted acquisitions. We intend to leverage our strong balance sheet to gain access to new technologies and products that improve our competitiveness in the current market, meet customers’ expanding work flow needs and allow us to enter adjacent markets.

		Expansion of geographic footprint. We will continue to expand our sales staff and distribution channels globally in order to increase our global presence and make it easier for customers to transact with us.

		Realignment of resources. In recognition of the increased size and scale of the organization, we intend to redesign our development and operational resources to create greater efficiencies throughout the organization.

		Talent recruitment and retention. We will recruit, train and retain the most talented staff to implement all of our strategies effectively.

OUR PRODUCTS AND MARKETS

Currently Bio-Techne operates worldwide and has three reportable business segments, the Biotechnology, Clinical Controls and Protein Platforms divisions. The Biotechnology reporting segment develops, manufactures and sells biotechnology research and diagnostic products world-wide. The Clinical Controls reporting segment develops and manufactures controls and calibrators for the global clinical market. And the Protein Platforms reporting segment develops and commercializes proprietary systems and consumables for protein analysis. In fiscal 2015, net sales from Bio-Techne’s Biotechnology, Clinical Controls and Protein Platforms segments represented 72.1%, 13.3% and 14.6% of consolidated net sales, respectively. Financial information relating to Bio-Techne’s segments is incorporated herein by reference to Note L to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Biotechnology Segment

Through our Biotechnology segment, we are one of the world’s leading suppliers of specialized proteins, such as cytokines, growth factors, immunoassays, antibodies and related reagents, to the biotechnology research community. We isolate and produce proteins in a pure form either from the native cells or through recombinant DNA technology. With the acquisition of Tocris in April 2011, we added chemically-based products to our Biotechnology segment. Our combined chemical and biological reagents portfolio provides new tools which customers can use in solving the complexity of important biological pathways and glean knowledge which may lead to a fuller understanding of biological processes and ultimately to the development of novel strategies to address different pathologies.

Biotechnology Segment Products

Proteins. We develop and manufacture in-house a range of cytokines, growth factors and enzymes, extracted from natural sources or produced using recombinant DNA technology. We produce and characterize all protein products to a high degree of purity and biological activity. The growing interest by academic and commercial researchers in cytokines is largely due to the profound effect that tiny amounts of a cytokine can have on cell’s and tissues. Cytokines are intercellular messengers and, as a result, act as signaling agents by interacting with specific receptors on the affected cells and trigger events that can lead to significant changes in a cell behavior. Enzymes are proteins which act as biological catalysts that accelerate chemical reactions. Most enzymes, including proteases, kinases and phosphatases, are proteins that modify the structure and function of other proteins and in turn affect cell behavior and function. Additionally, both enzymes and cytokines have the potential to serve as predictive biomarkers and therapeutic targets for a variety of diseases and conditions including cancer, Alzheimer’s, arthritis, autoimmunity, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, inflammation, AIDS and influenza.

Antibodies. Antibodies are specialized proteins produced by the immune system of an animal that recognize and bind to target molecules. We produce our polyclonal antibodies in animals (primarily goats, sheep and rabbits), purifying them from the animals’ blood. We derive monoclonal antibodies from immortalized rodent cell lines using hybridoma technology, isolating them from cell culture medium, or we manufacture them through recombinant DNA technology. The flow cytometry product line includes fluorochrome labeled antibodies and kits that are used to determine the immuno-phenotypic properties of cells from different tissues.

Immunoassays. We market a variety of immunoassays on different testing platforms, including microtiter-plate based kits sold under the trade name Quantikine®, multiplex immunoassays based on encoded bead technology and immunoassays based on planar spotted surfaces. Researchers use these immunoassay products to quantify the level of a specific protein in biological fluids, such as serum, plasma, or urine. Protein quantification is an integral component of basic research, as potential diagnostic tools for various diseases and as a valuable indicator of the effects of new therapeutic compounds in the drug discovery process. Immunoassays can also be useful in clinical diagnostics. We have received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) marketing clearance for erythropoietin (EPO), transferrin receptor (TfR) and Beta2-microglobulin (b2M) immunoassays for use as in vitro diagnostic devices.

Small Molecule Chemically-based Products. These products include small natural or synthetic chemical compounds used by investigators as agonists, antagonists and/or inhibitors of various biological functions. Used in concert with other Company products, they provide additional tools to elucidate key pathways of cellular functions and can provide insight into the drug discovery process.

Biotechnology Segment Customers and Distribution Methods

We sell our biotechnology products directly to customers who are primarily located in North America, western Europe and China. We have a sales and marketing partnership agreement with Fisher Scientific in order to bolster our market presence in North America and leverage the transactional efficiencies offered by the large Fisher organization. We also sell through third party distributors in China, Japan, southern Europe and the rest of the world. Our sales are widely distributed, and no single end-user customer accounted for more than 10% of Biotechnology’s net sales during fiscal 2015, 2014 or 2013.

Biotechnology Segment Competitors

A number of companies supply the worldwide market for protein related and chemically-based research reagents, including GE Healthcare Life Sciences, BD Biosciences, Merck KGaA/EMD Chemicals, Inc., PeproTech, Inc., Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc., Abcam plc., Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., Cayman Chemical Company and Enzo Biochem, Inc. Market success is primarily dependent upon product quality, selection and reputation. We believe we are one of the leading world-wide suppliers of cytokine related products in the research market. We further believe that the expanding line of our products, their recognized quality, and the growing demand for protein related and chemically-based research reagents will allow us to remain competitive in the growing biotechnology research and diagnostic market.

Biotechnology Segment Manufacturing

We develop and manufacture the majority of our cytokines using recombinant DNA technology, thus significantly reducing our reliance on outside resources. Tocris chemical-based products are synthesized from widely available products. We typically have several outside sources for all critical raw materials necessary for the manufacture of our products.

The majority of our Biotechnology products are shipped within one day of receipt of the customers’ orders. Consequently, we had no significant backlog of orders for our Biotechnology segment products as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K or as of a comparable date for fiscal 2014.

Clinical Controls Segment

Proper diagnosis of many illnesses requires a thorough and accurate analysis of a patient’s blood cells, which is usually done with automated or semi-automated hematology instruments. Our Clinical Controls segment develops and manufactures controls and calibrators for instruments in the global clinical market.

Clinical Controls Segment Products

We derive our hematology controls and calibrators from various cellular components of blood which have been stabilized. These control and calibrator products ensure that hematology instruments are performing accurately and reliably.

We offer a wide range of hematology controls and calibrators for both impedance and laser type cell counters. We also supply hematology control products for use as proficiency testing tools by laboratory certifying authorities in a number of states and countries. We believe our products have improved stability and versatility and a longer shelf life than most of those of our competitors. We also offer clinical controls for blood glucose and blood gas devices, as well as coagulation device control products.

Clinical Controls Segment Customers and Distribution Methods

Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) agreements represent the largest market for our clinical controls products. In fiscal 2015, 2014 and 2013, OEM agreements accounted for $41.1 million, $41.2 million, and $10.8 million, respectively, or 9%, 12%, and 3% of total consolidated net sales in each fiscal year, respectively. The increase in fiscal 2014 was a result of the acquisition of Bionostics. We sell our clinical control products directly to customers in the United States and primarily through distributors in the rest of the world. One OEM customer accounted for approximately 13% and 14% of Clinical Controls’ net sales during fiscal 2015 and 2014, respectively. No single customer accounted for more than 10% of Clinical Controls’ net sales in fiscal 2013.

Clinical Controls Segment Competitors

Competition is intense in the clinical controls business. The market is composed of manufacturers of laboratory reagents, chemicals and coagulation products and independent blood control manufacturers in addition to instrument manufacturers. The principal clinical diagnostic control competitors for our products in this segment are Abbott Diagnostics, Beckman Coulter, Inc., Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Streck, Inc., Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Inc. and Sysmex Corporation. We believe we are the third largest supplier of hematology controls in the marketplace behind Beckman Coulter, Inc. and Streck, Inc. We compete based primarily on product performance, quality, and price.

Clinical Controls Segment Manufacturing

The primary raw material for our clinical controls products is whole blood. We purchase human blood from commercial blood banks, and porcine and bovine blood from nearby meat processing plants. After we receive raw blood, we separate it into its cellular components, and then process and stabilize it. Although the cost of human blood has increased due to the requirement that it be tested for certain diseases and pathogens prior to use, the higher cost of these materials has not had a material adverse effect on our business. Bio-Techne does not perform its own pathogen testing, as most suppliers test all human blood collected.

The majority of the Clinical Control products are shipped based on a preset, recurring schedule. There was no significant backlog of orders for our Clinical Control products as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K or as of a comparable date for fiscal 2014.

Protein Platforms Segment

Proteins are important for understanding disease because they are the functional units that carry out specific tasks in every cell. Without them, the cell cannot perform its intended function, produce the energy it requires, maintain its shape or survive in its environment. However, proteins are difficult to interrogate because they are large, complex and unique. Our Protein Platforms segment develops, manufactures and sells tools to make protein analysis simpler, more quantitative and reproduceable.

Protein Platforms Segment Products

The Simple Western Platform. The Western blot, or Western, is one of the most widely-used assay for protein analysis and identification today. Unchanged since its invention in 1979, the Western assay is used by molecular biologists, biochemists and clinicians to determine if a specific protein is present in a sample. This assay is an immunoassay, meaning that it requires a specific antibody in order to correctly identify the protein of interest. The Western blot also shows the researcher the size of the protein identified. Our Simple Western platform is a fully-automated, analytical technique that can identify and quantify a protein of interest in a sample. Like the Western blot, our Simple Western also provides the user with the size of the protein and utilizes antibodies to identify specific proteins in the sample. The Simple Western automates the entire workflow and transforms the Western blot into a gel-free, blot-free assay requiring just 30 minutes of sample prep time. Not only does the Simple Western simplify the workflow, it transforms the Western into a real analytical tool for protein analysis, providing truly quantitative, high quality data. The reproducibility of the assay enables researchers to determine quantitatively how much protein exists in a given sample. As has been demonstrated in numerous experiments conducted by us and our customers, each of our Simple Western products is more sensitive than a traditional Western, meaning that the Simple Western will detect a lower level of target protein in a given sample or allow a researcher to use less sample to run the assay. Multiple proteins can also be assessed in every sample allowing a more holistic view of protein function.

SimplePlex Platform. A common assay used in research and clinical diagnostics is the ELISA, or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. ELISA tests detect a variety proteins, including cytokines, hormones, bacterial antigens, and antibodies. ELISA tests can be cumbersome and time-consuming, and are not always easy to replicate, especially when attempting to test several proteins in a single assay. The SimplePlex platform is a transformative immunoassay technology which integrates an innovatively designed microfluidic cartridge with a state-of-the-art analyzer to deliver a bench-top immunoassay system that is more sensitive than ELISA with none of the traditional challenges of assay design or repeatability. SimplePlex assays are fully automated, multi-analyte immunoassays that permit the customer to run multiple samples while interrogating multiple analytes in approximately one hour. We believe the SimplePlex technology, along with other immunoassay platforms offered by Bio-Techne, represents the most comprehensive line of immunoassay products to meet customers’ complete workflow in their research and clinical protein applications.

Biologics Instrumentation. Biologics are complex protein-based therapeutics, and are transforming the pharmaceutical industry and treatment of many diseases. Biologic drugs are very effective targeted therapeutics for diseases such as arthritis, cancer and diabetes, and their number in development is increasing because of a variety of advances in biochemistry, immunology and biotechnology. Biologics can be monoclonal antibodies, recombinant proteins and vaccines. Developers of biologics are required by regulatory agencies, such as FDA, to develop robust processes to ensure that the specific biologic of interest can be identified and characterized accurately and then consistently and reliably produced. As a result, a suite of complementary analytical approaches are utilized to measure attributes such as identity, biological potency, purity, safety and impurities. These analytical approaches are used throughout the product development process, spanning initial discovery, expression, formulation, process development, quality control and final release. Our Biologics tools help researchers interrogate protein purity and identify contaminants during the development and production of biologics. Our iCE3 system is an analytical tool that measures the charge heterogeneity of proteins. Our micro-flow imaging, or MFI, platform detects both visible (10 µm and larger) and subvisible (below 10 µm) particles. It directly measures the size, shape, count and concentration of particles within the 1 µm to 300 µm size range.

Protein Platforms Segment Customers and Distribution Methods.

We sell our protein platforms products directly to customers who are primarily located in North America, western Europe and Japan. We also sell through third party distributors in China, southern Europe and the rest of the world. Our sales are widely distributed, and no single end-user customer accounted for more than 10% of Protein Platforms’ net sales during fiscal 2015, 2014 or 2013.

Protein Platforms Segment Competitors.

Our Simple Western platform is a complete replacement for the traditional Western blot. As a result, we face competition from the vendors that supply instruments and reagents to traditional Western blot users. These competitors include Bio-Rad Laboratories, GE Healthcare, Merck KGaA, PerkinElmer and Thermo Fisher Scientific. All of these vendors provide elements of the traditional work flow. Similarly, our SimplePlex platform replaces the traditional ELISA assay as well as some flow-based multiplex assays; competitors include those who supply instruments and reagents for ELISAs, including Meso Scale Discovery, PerkinElmer, Thermo Fisher, Luminex, Millipore, Molecular Devices, Tecan BioTek, and Bio-Rad Laboratories. The primary competitors for our Biologics instrumentation are Agilent Technologies, Danaher and PerkinElmer, as well as GE Healthcare, Shimadzu, Thermo Fisher and Waters. We believe our competitive position is strong due to the unique aspects of our products and our product quality.

Protein Platforms Segment Manufacturing.

We manufacture our Simple Western products at our facility in San Jose, California and Minneapolis, Minnesota. Our Biologics instruments and consumables are manufactured at our facilities in Toronto and Ottawa, both located in Ontario, Canada. We manufacture our Simple Plex products at our facility in Wallingford, Connecticut. We manufacture our own components where we believe it adds significant value, but we rely on suppliers for the manufacture of some of the consumables, components, subassemblies and autosamplers used with, or included in, our systems, which are manufactured to our specifications. We are not dependent on any one supplier and are not required to carry significant amounts of inventory to assure ourselves of a continuous allotment of goods from suppliers. We conduct all final testing and inspection of our products. We have established a quality control program, including a set of standard manufacturing and documentation procedures.

There was no significant backlog of orders for our Protein Platforms products as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K or as of a comparable date for fiscal 2014.

Geographic Information

Following is financial information relating to geographic areas (in thousands):

		Year Ended June 30,
		2015				2014				2013
External sales
United States		$	245,217			$	190,359			$	164,308
Europe			134,077				97,157				88,297
China			26,105				18,878				14,106
Other Asia			23,806				32,704				28,608
Rest of world			23,041				18,665				15,256
Total external sales		$	452,246			$	357,763			$	310,575

		As of June 30,
		2015				2014				2013
Long-lived assets
United States and Canada		$	119,075			$	109,790			$	103,541
Europe			11,239				8,340				7,129
China			1,286				678				117
Total long-lived assets		$	131,600			$	118,808			$	110,787

Net sales are attributed to countries based on the location of the customer or distributor. Long-lived assets are comprised of land, buildings and improvements and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation and other assets. See the description of risks associated with the Company’s foreign subsidiaries in Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

PRODUCTS UNDER DEVELOPMENT

Bio-Techne is engaged in ongoing research and development in all of our major product lines: controls and calibrators, protein analysis instrumentation and related reagents, and cytokines, antibodies, assays, small bioactive molecules and related biotechnology products. We believe that our future success depends, to a large extent, on our ability to keep pace with changing technologies and market needs.

In fiscal 2015, Bio-Techne introduced approximately 1,600 new biotechnology products to the life science market. All of these products are for research use only and therefore did not require FDA clearance. We also expect to significantly expand our portfolio of products through acquisitions of existing businesses. However, there is no assurance that any of the products in the research and development phase can be successfully completed or, if completed, can be successfully introduced into the marketplace.

		Year Ended June 30,
		2015				2014				2013
Research expense (in thousands):
Biotechnology		$	28,201			$	29,189			$	28,441
Clinical Controls			1,628				1,756				816
Protein Platforms			11,024				0				0
		$	40,853			$	30,945			$	29,257
Percent of net sales			9	%			9	%			9	%

ACQUISITIONS AND INVESTMENTS

Fiscal 2016 Acquisition

On July 8, 2015, Bio-Techne acquired all of the outstanding equity of Cliniqa Corporation (Cliniqa). Cliniqa, based in San Marcos, California, specializes in the manufacturing and commercialization of quality controls and calibrators as well as bulk reagents used in the clinical diagnostic market. Its controls and reagents are used in a wide variety of diagnostic tests for such pathologies as cardiac disease, diabetes, cancer, immunological disorders, therapeutic drug monitoring, urine analysis and toxicology. The acquisition further expanded and complemented our clinical controls product lines.

Fiscal 2015 Acquisitions

On July 31, 2014, Bio-Techne closed on the acquisition of all of the outstanding equity of ProteinSimple for approximately $300 million. The purchase price was adjusted post-closing based on the final levels of cash and working capital of ProteinSimple at closing. Certain ProteinSimple stockholders are subject to non-compete and non-solicitation obligations for three years following the closing. ProteinSimple develops, markets and sells Western-blotting instruments, biologics and reagents. Western blotting remains one of the most frequently practiced life science techniques, and ProteinSimple’s tools allow researchers to perform this basic research technique with greater speed and efficiency. Automation of the Western blotting technique has the potential to drive additional sales of the consumables Bio-Techne already sells, especially antibodies which have been validated for Western blotting applications. The ProteinSimple products became the foundation of our ProteinPlatforms segment.

On July 2, 2014, Bio-Techne announced that it had acquired all of the issued and outstanding equity interests of Novus Biologicals, LLC (Novus) for approximately $60.0 million. Novus is a Littleton, Colorado-based supplier of a large portfolio of both outsourced and in-house developed antibodies and other reagents for life science research, delivered through an innovative digital commerce platform. The acquisition further expanded our antibody portfolio, consistent with our long term strategic business plan to serve customers with a complete and quality line of reagents, and became a part of our Biotechnology segment.

Fiscal 2014 Investments and Acquisitions

After investing $10.0 million in CyVek, Inc. on April 1, 2014, Bio-Techne’s wholly-owned subsidiary, R & D Systems, Inc. acquired all of CyVek’s equity on November 4, 2014 for approximately $60.0 million. Bio-Techne completed the acquisition as a result of CyVek meeting certain pre-agreed commercial milestones. We will pay CyVek stockholders up to an additional $35.0 million based on the revenue generated by CyVek’s products and related products before May 4, 2017. We will also pay CyVek’s stockholders 50% of the amount, if any, by which the revenue from CyVek’s products and related products exceeds $100 million in calendar year 2020. This strategic investment allowed us to offer the SimplePlex platform as part of our Protein Platforms segment, strengthening our market position in the immunoassay market where multiplex testing platforms are becoming more significant.

On April 30, 2014, Bio-Techne’s China affiliate, R&D Systems China, acquired PrimeGene for approximately $18.8 million. PrimeGene is a leader in the China market in the development and manufacture of recombinant proteins for research and industrial applications, and has large scale protein manufacturing capabilities to serve the Chinese market as well as global industrial customers. PrimeGene is included in Bio-Techne’s Biotechnology segment.

On July 22, 2013, the Company’s R&D Systems subsidiary acquired for approximately $103 million cash all of the outstanding shares of Bionostics. Bionostics is a global leader in the development, manufacture and distribution of control solutions that verify the proper operation of in-vitro diagnostic devices primarily utilized in point of care blood glucose and blood gas testing. Bionostics is included in Bio-Techne’s Clinical Controls segment.

Prior Investments

Bio-Techne has an approximate 14% equity investment in ChemoCentryx, Inc. (CCXI). CCXI is a technology and drug development company working in the area of chemokines. Chemokines are cytokines which regulate the trafficking patterns of leukocytes, the effector cells of the human immune system. Bio-Techne’s investment in CCXI is included in “Short-term available-for-sale investments” at June 30, 2015 and 2014 at fair values of $52.3 million and $37.1 million, respectively.

GOVERNMENT REGULATION

All manufacturers of clinical diagnostic controls are regulated under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, as amended. All of Bio-Techne’s clinical control products are classified as "in vitro diagnostic products" by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The entire control manufacturing process, from receipt of raw materials to the monitoring of control products through their expiration date, is strictly regulated and documented. FDA inspectors make periodic site inspections of Bio-Techne’s clinical control operations and facilities. Clinical control manufacturing must comply with Quality System Regulations (QSR) as set forth in the FDA’s regulations governing medical devices.

Three of Bio-Techne’s immunoassay kits, EPO, TfR and b2M, have FDA clearance to be sold for clinical diagnostic use. Bio-Techne must comply with QSR for the manufacture of these kits. Biotechnology products manufactured in the U.S. and sold for use in the research market do not require FDA clearance. Tocris products are used as research tools and require no regulatory approval for commercialization. However, some of Tocris’ products are considered controlled substances and require government permits to stock such products and to ship them to end-users. Bio-Techne has no reason to believe that these annual permits will not be re-issued.

Some of Bio-Techne’s research groups use small amounts of radioactive materials in the form of radioisotopes in their product development activities. Thus, Bio-Techne is subject to regulation and inspection by the Minnesota Department of Health and has been granted a license through August 2016. Bio-Techne has had no difficulties in renewing this license in prior years and has no reason to believe it will not be renewed in the future. If, however, the license was not renewed, it would have minimal effect on Bio-Techne’s business since there are other technologies the research groups could use to replace the use of radioisotopes.

Bio-Techne is subject to the medical device excise tax which was included as part of the Affordable Care Act. The tax applies to the sale of medical devices by a manufacturer, producer or importer of the device and is 2.3% of the sale price. The tax applies to Bio-Techne’s in vitro diagnostic products, including its clinical control products and biotechnology clinical diagnostic immunoassay kits. Bio-Techne’s medical device excise tax for fiscal 2015 and 2014 was $0.6 million and $0.5 million, respectively.

PATENTS AND TRADEMARKS

Our success depends at least in part upon our ability to protect our core technologies and intellectual property. To accomplish this, we rely on a combination of intellectual property rights, including patents, trade secrets and trademarks, as well as customary contractual protections. As of June 30, 2015, we had rights to 45 granted patents and approximately 50 pending patent applications, primarily relating to our clinical controls products. Paten protection, if granted, generally has a life of 20 years from the date of the patent application or patent grant. We cannot assure you whether any of our pending patent applications will result in the grant of a patent, whether the examination process will require us to narrow our claims, and whether our claims will provide adequate coverage of our competitors’ products or services. Bio-Techne is not substantially dependent on products for which it has obtained patent protection.

In addition to pursuing patents on our products, we also preserve much of our innovation as trade secrets. We have taken steps to protect our intellectual property and proprietary technology by entering into confidentiality agreements and intellectual property assignment agreements with our employees, consultants, corporate partners and, when needed, our advisors. Such agreements may not be enforceable or may not provide meaningful protection for our trade secrets or other proprietary information in the event of unauthorized use or disclosure or other breaches of the agreements, and we may not be able to prevent such unauthorized disclosure. Monitoring unauthorized disclosure is difficult, and we do not know whether the steps we have taken to prevent such disclosure are, or will be, adequate.

No assurance can be given that Bio-Techne’s products do not infringe upon patents or proprietary rights owned or claimed by others, particularly for genetically engineered products. Bio-Techne has not conducted a patent infringement study for each of its products. Where we have been contacted by patent holders with certain intellectual property rights, Bio-Techne has entered into licensing agreements with patent holders under which it has the exclusive and/or non-exclusive right to use patented technology as well as the right to manufacture and sell certain patented proteins and related products to the research market. For fiscal 2015, 2014 and 2013, total royalties expensed under these licenses were approximately $4.0 million, $3.5 million and $3.3 million, respectively.

Bio-Techne has obtained federal trademark registration for certain of its brand and product names. Bio-Techne believes it has common law trademark rights to certain marks in addition to those which it has registered.

SEASONALITY OF BUSINESS

Biotechnology and Protein Platforms segment products marketed by Bio-Techne historically experience a slowing of sales or of the rate of sales growth during the summer months. Bio-Techne also usually experiences a slowing of sales in all of its reportable segments during the Thanksgiving to New Year holiday period. Bio-Techne believes this seasonality is a result of vacation and academic schedules of its world-wide customer base.

EMPLOYEES

Through its subsidiaries, Bio-Techne employed approximately 1,356 full-time and part-time employees as of June 30, 2015.

ENVIRONMENT

Compliance with federal, state and local environmental protection laws in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, China and Hong Kong had no material effect on Bio-Techne in fiscal 2015.

INVESTOR INFORMATION

We are subject to the information requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act). Therefore, we file periodic reports, proxy statements, and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Such reports, proxy statements, and other information may be obtained by visiting the Public Reference Room of the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington, DC 20549 or by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. In addition, the SEC maintains an internet site (http://www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically.

Financial and other information about us is available on our web site (http://www.bio-techne.com). We make available on our web site copies of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act as soon as reasonably practicable after filing such material electronically or otherwise furnishing it to the SEC.

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT

Currently, the names, ages, positions and periods of service of each executive officer of the Company are as follows:

Name		Age		Position		Officer Since
Charles Kummeth		55		President, Chief Executive Officer and Director		2013
James T. Hippel		44		Chief Financial Officer		2014
Brenda Furlow		57		Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary		2014
J. Fernando Bazan		55		Chief Technology Officer		2013
Marcel Veronneau		61		Senior Vice President, Clinical Controls		1995
David Eansor		54		Senior Vice President, Biotechnology		2014
Robert Gavin		48		Senior Vice President, Protein Platforms		2014

Set forth below is information regarding the business experience of each executive officer. There are no family relationships among any of the officers named, nor is there any arrangement or understanding pursuant to which any person was selected as an officer.

Charles Kummeth has been President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company since April 1, 2013. Prior to joining the Company, he served as President of Mass Spectrometry and Chromatography at Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. from September 2011. He was President of that company’s Laboratory Consumables Division from 2009 to September 2011. Prior to joining Thermo Fisher, Mr. Kummeth served in various roles at 3M Corporation, most recently as the Vice President of the company’s Medical Division from 2006 to 2008.

James T. Hippel has been Chief Financial Officer of the Company since April 1, 2014. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Hippel served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Mirion Technologies, Inc., a $300 million global company that provides radiation detection and identification products. Prior to Mirion, Mr. Hippel served as Vice President, Finance at Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., leading finance operations for its Mass Spectrometry & Chromatography division and its Laboratory Consumables division. In addition, Mr. Hippel’s experience includes nine years of progressive financial leadership at Honeywell International, within its Aerospace Segment. Mr. Hippel started his career with KPMG LLP and is a CPA (inactive).

Brenda Furlow joined the Company as Senior Vice President and General Counsel on August 4, 2014. Most recently, Ms. Furlow was an associate with Alphatech Counsel, SC and served as general counsel to emerging growth technology companies. Ms. Furlow was General Counsel for TomoTherapy, Inc., a global, publicly traded company that manufactured and sold radiation therapy equipment from 2007 to 2011. From 1998 to 2007, Ms. Furlow served as General Counsel for Promega Corporation, a global life sciences company. In addition, Ms. Furlow’s experience includes five years in various positions with a credit union trade association. Ms. Furlow began her legal career as an associate with a Chicago-based law firm.

Dr. J. Fernando Bazan was appointed Chief Technical Officer when he joined the Company on August 1, 2013. Dr. Bazan is an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota School of Medicine and served as Chief Scientific Officer at Neuroscience, Inc., a neuroimmunology startup from 2010 to 2012. From 2003 through 2010, Dr. Bazan served as Senior Scientist at Genentech, Inc. (Roche).

Marcel Veronneau was appointed as Vice President, Clinical Controls in March 1995. Prior thereto, he served as Director of Operations for R&D Systems’ Clinical Controls Division since joining the Company in 1993.

David Eansor has served as Senior Vice President, Biotechnology since April, 2015. Prior to that, Mr. Eansor was Senior Vice President, Novus Biologicals, since the Company completed its acquisition of Novus on July 2, 2014. From January 2013 until the date of the acquisition, Mr. Eansor was the Senior Vice President of Corporate Development of Novus Biologicals. Prior to joining Novus, Mr. Eansor was the President of the Bioscience Division of Thermo Fisher Scientific. Mr. Eansor was promoted to Division President in early 2010 after 5 years as President of Thermo Fisher’s Life Science Research business.

Robert Gavin was appointed Senior Vice President of the Protein Platforms Division in December 2014. Mr. Gavin had previously been Vice President of Product Development at ProteinSimple, which was acquired by the Company in July, 2014. Prior to joining ProteinSimple in 2008, Mr. Gavin served as Director of Engineering at MDS Analytical Technologies (previously Molecular Devices, Inc.). Prior to Molecular Devices, Mr. Gavin managed a team of engineers at Affymax Research Institute.