Item 1. BUSINESS

OVERVIEW

Bio-Techne and its subsidiaries, collectively doing business as Bio-Techne Corporation (Bio-Techne, we, our, us or the Company), develop, manufacture and sell life science reagents, instruments and services for the research, diagnostics and bioprocessing markets worldwide. With our broad product portfolio and application expertise, we sell integral components of scientific investigations into biological processes and molecular diagnostics, revealing the nature, diagnosis, etiology and progression of specific diseases. Our products aid in drug discovery efforts and provide the means for accurate clinical tests and diagnoses.

We manage the business in two operating segments – our Protein Sciences segment and our Diagnostics and Genomics segment. Our Protein Sciences segment is a leading developer and manufacturer of high-quality biological reagents used in all aspects of life science research, diagnostics and cell and gene therapy. This segment also includes proteomic analytical tools, both manual and automated, that offer researchers and pharmaceutical manufacturers efficient and streamlined options for automated western blot and multiplexed ELISA workflow. Our Diagnostics and Genomics segment develops and manufactures diagnostic products, including controls, calibrators, and diagnostic assays for the regulated diagnostics market, exosome-based molecular diagnostic assays, advanced tissue-based in-situ hybridization assays for spatial genomic and tissue biopsy analysis, and genetic and oncology kits for research and clinical applications.    

We are a Minnesota corporation with our global headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We were founded forty-five years ago, in 1976, as Research and Diagnostic Systems, Inc. We became a publicly traded company in 1985 through a merger with Techne Corporation, now Bio-Techne Corporation. Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ under the symbol “TECH.” We operate globally, with offices in many locations throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Today, our product lines extend to over 350,000 products, most of which we manufacture ourselves in multiple locations in North America, as well as the U.K. and China.

Our historical focus was on providing high quality proteins, antibodies and immunoassays to the life science research market and hematology controls to the diagnostics market. Over the last eight years, we have been implementing a disciplined strategy to accelerate growth in part by acquiring businesses and product portfolios that leveraged and diversified our existing product lines, filled portfolio gaps with differentiated high growth businesses, and expanded our geographic scope. From fiscal years 2013 through 2021 we have acquired or made investments in seventeen companies that have expanded the product offerings and geographic footprint of both operating segments. Recognizing the importance of an integrated, global approach to meeting our mission and accomplishing our strategies, we have maintained many of the brands of the companies we have acquired, but unified under a single global brand -- Bio-Techne. 

We are committed to providing the life sciences community with innovative, high-quality scientific tools that allow our customers to make extraordinary discoveries. We intend to build on Bio-Techne’s past accomplishments, high product quality reputation and sound financial position by executing strategies that position us to serve as 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, participation in scientific discussions and societies, and leveraging our internal talent we expect to be able to convert 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.

Market and geographic expansion. 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. We will also leverage our existing portfolio to expand our product offerings into novel research fields and further into diagnostics and therapeutics markets.

Culture development and talent recruitment and retention. As we continue to grow both organically and through acquisition, we are intentionally fostering an “EPIC” culture based on the ideals of Empowerment, Passion, Innovation and Collaboration.  We strive to recruit, train and retain the most talented staff, who will live out these EPIC ideals and implement our strategies effectively.

Targeted acquisitions and investments. We will continue to leverage our strong balance sheet to gain access to new and differentiated technologies and products that improve our competitiveness in the current market, meet customers’ expanding workflow needs and allow us to enter adjacent markets. 

PROTEIN SCIENCES SEGMENT

Protein Sciences Segment Products and Markets

The Protein Sciences segment is the larger of our two segments, representing about 75% of our net sales in fiscal 2021. It is comprised of two divisions with complementary product offerings serving many of the same customers – the Reagent Solutions division and the Analytical Solutions division.

The Reagent Solutions division consists of specialized proteins, such as cytokines and growth factors, antibodies, small molecules, tissue culture sera and cell selection technologies traditionally used by researchers to further their life science experimental activities and by companies developing next generation diagnostics and therapeutics, including companies developing cell and gene-based therapeutics. Key product brands include R&D Systems, Tocris Biosciences and Novus Biologicals. Our combined chemical and biological reagents portfolio provides high quality tools that customers can use in solving complex biological pathways and glean knowledge that may lead to a more complete understanding of biological processes, and, ultimately, to the development of novel therapeutic strategies to address different pathologies.  With the 2019 acquisitions of Quad Technologies, which has novel Quickgel™ technologies for cell separation and activation, and B-MoGen Technologies, which has a non-viral, transposon-based technology for gene editing called TcBuster, we have expanded our product offerings for the cell and gene therapy market. Through a collaborative marketing venture with two other companies, we have leveraged these and other products we have or are developing to provide a more complete offering for the cell and gene therapy market.

The Analytical Solutions division includes manual and automated protein analysis instruments and immunoassays that are used in quantifying proteins in a variety of biological fluids. Products in this division include traditional manual plate-based immunoassays, fully automated multiplex immunoassays on various instrument platforms, and automated western blotting and isoelectric focusing analysis of complex protein samples. Key product brands include R&D Systems and ProteinSimple. A number of our products have been demonstrated to have the potential to serve as predictive biomarkers and therapeutic targets for a variety of human diseases and conditions including cancer, autoimmunity, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, inflammation, neurological disorders, and kidney failure. Immunoassays can also be useful in clinical diagnostics. In fact, we have received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) marketing clearance for a few of our immunoassays for use as in vitro diagnostic devices. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we partnered with Mount Sinai Hospital and its commercial entity, Kantaro Biosciences, to rapidly develop and commercialize an immunoassay kit intended to test for antibodies to COVID-19, which has received regulatory clearance in several jurisdictions, including an Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA.

Protein Sciences Segment Customers and Distribution Methods

Our customers for this segment include researchers in academia, government and industry (chiefly pharmaceutical and biotech companies), as well as diagnostic/companion diagnostic and therapeutic customers, especially customers engaged in the development of cell and gene based therapies. Our biologics line of products in the Analytical Solutions division is used primarily by production and quality control departments at biotech and pharmaceutical companies. We sell our products directly to customers who are primarily located in North America, Europe and China, as well as through a distribution agreement with Fisher Scientific. We also sell through third party distributors in China, Japan, certain eastern European countries and the rest of the world. Our sales are widely distributed, and no single end-user customer accounted for more than 10% of the Protein Sciences segment's net sales during fiscal 2021, 2020 or 2019.

DIAGNOSTICS AND GENOMICS SEGMENT

The Diagnostics and Genomics segment, representing about 25% of our net revenues in fiscal 2021, is focused primarily on the diagnostics market and includes diagnostics reagents, genomics, our Exosome acquisition, and our Asuragen acquisition.

Diagnostics and Genomics Segment Products

The Diagnostic Reagents division consists of regulated products traditionally used as calibrators and controls in the clinical setting. Also included are instrument and process control products for hematology, blood chemistry, blood gases, coagulation controls and reagents used in various diagnostic applications. Often we manufacture these reagents on a custom basis, tailored to a customer's specific diagnostic assay technology. We supply these reagents in various formats including liquid, frozen, or in lyophilized form. Most of these products are sold on an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) basis to instrument manufacturers, with most products being FDA-cleared.

The Genomics division includes products using nucleic acid (RNA or DNA) analysis that can be used for diagnostic or research applications. Key product brands include Advanced Cell Diagnostics, or ACD, Exosome Diagnostics, and Asuragen. ACD products are aimed at tissue biopsy and spatial analysis.  Exosome Diagnostics focuses on exosome-based liquid biopsy techniques that analyze genes or their transcripts. The first commercialized test from Exosome Diagnostics is a urine-based assay for early detection of high-grade prostate cancer used as an aid in deciding the need for an initial biopsy.  Our most recent acquisition is Asuragen, which makes and sells products for genetic carrier screening, oncology diagnostics, molecular controls, and research.

Diagnostics and Genomics Segment Customers and Distribution Methods

The majority of Diagnostic Reagents Division's sales are through OEM agreements, but we sell some of our diagnostics reagents products directly to customers and, in Europe and Asia, also through distributors. The customers for the ACD research products include researchers in academia as well as investigators in pharmaceutical and biotech companies. We sell our products directly to those customers who are primarily located in North America, Europe and China, and through distributors elsewhere. In addition to being useful research tools, our DNA and RNA in situ hybridization assays have diagnostics applications as well, and several are cleared or currently under review by the FDA in partnership with diagnostics instrument manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies. In the United States, we offer test services to physicians using our lab-developed non-invasive urine-based assay for prostate cancer detection.  Our diagnostic laboratory is certified under and regulated by the State of Massachusetts pursuant to the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments, or CLIA. Customers are physicians prescribing such tests for their patients.  Finally, the Asuragen products are sold primarily to laboratories for use in lab-developed tests or in kit form as regulated diagnostic tests. 

No customers accounted for 10% or more of the reporting segment's consolidated net sales during fiscal years 2021, 2020 or 2019.

MANUFACTURING AND MATERIALS

Our manufacturing operations use a wide variety of raw materials and components, including electronic components, chemicals and biological materials.  No single supplier is material, although for some components that require particular specifications or regulatory or other qualifications there may be a single supplier or a limited number of suppliers that can readily provide such components. We utilize a number of techniques to address potential disruption in and other risks relating to our supply chain, including in certain cases the use of safety stock, alternative materials and qualification of multiple supply sources.  

The majority of our products are shipped within one day of receipt of the customers' orders, other than our instruments and related cartridges, which are typically shipped within one to two weeks of receipt of an order.  There was no significant backlog of orders for our products as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K or as of a comparable date for fiscal 2021.  For additional discussion of risks relating to supply chain and manufacturing, refer to “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”  

COMPETITION

Although our segments both generally operate in highly competitive markets, it is difficult to determine our competitive position, either in the aggregate or by segment, since none of our competitors offer all of the same product and service lines or serve all of the same markets as the Company, or any of its segments, does. Because of the range of the products and services we sell, we encounter a wide variety of competitors, including a number of large, global companies or divisions of such companies with substantial capabilities and resources, as well a number of smaller, niche competitors with specialized product offerings.  We have increased competition in a number of our markets as a result of the entry of new companies into certain markets, the entry of competitors based in low-cost manufacturing locations, and increasing consolidation in particular markets. The number of competitors varies by product line. Key competitive factors vary among the Company’s businesses, but include the specific factors noted above with respect to each particular business and typically also include price, quality and safety, performance, delivery speed, application expertise, service and support, technology and innovation, distribution network, breadth of product, service and software offerings and brand name recognition.  We believe our competitive position is strong due to the unique aspects of many of our products and our product quality.   For a discussion of risks related to competition, refer to “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”

SEASONALITY OF BUSINESS

Bio-Techne believes there is some seasonality as a result of vacation and academic schedules of its worldwide customer base, particularly for the Protein Sciences segment. A majority of Diagnostics Reagents division products are manufactured in large bulk lots and sold on a schedule set by the customer. Consequently, sales for that segment can be unpredictable, and not necessarily based on seasonality. As a result, we can experience material and sometimes unpredictable fluctuations in our revenue from the Diagnostics and Genomics segment.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Bio-Techne is engaged in continuous research and development in all of our major product lines. We believe that our future success depends, to a large extent, on our ability to keep pace with changing technologies and market needs. In response to the global pandemic that emerged in early 2020, we diverted some of our development resources to new and existing products to meet the needs associated with COVID-19, including a major effort by the development teams in our Protein Sciences Segment to develop a diagnostic immunoassay for testing antibodies to COVID-19. That immunoassay product has thus far had limited sales.  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.

HUMAN CAPITAL

Through its subsidiaries, Bio-Techne employed approximately 2,600 full-time and part-time employees as of June 30, 2021, of whom approximately 2,000 were employed in the United States and approximately 600 outside the United States. None of the United States employees are unionized. Outside the United States, the Company has government-mandated collective bargaining arrangements or work councils in certain countries. 

Bio-Techne is committed to attracting, developing, engaging and retaining the best people possible from around the world to sustain and grow our leadership position in life sciences tools and diagnostics. Our human capital strategy spans multiple key dimensions, including the following:

Culture and Governance

Our commitment to our people is reflected in our four EPIC values of Empowerment, Passion, Innovation and Collaboration. Those four values (together with their 12 supporting EPIC behaviors) are the backbone for the way we approach the leadership and direction of our work force.  Employees are empowered to realize their potential. Our culture supports and encourages a collaborative approach to working with each other and with our customers. We encourage innovation to continually improve our products, services and processes, and our passion for science and the missions of our customers is our guiding light. 

Our EPIC values are embedded in our culture and practices. By way of example, our performance management system and annual review processes incorporate our EPIC values.  Each employee is measured against the behaviors and attributes that support those values. To further amplify our desired behaviours, we have an annual employee recognition program in which we ask for nominations and recognize winning individuals and teams form across our business who have best demonstrated our EPIC values during the previous year.    

Bio-Techne’s Board of Directors reviews management succession planning annually, and its Executive Compensation Committee reviews the Company’s human capital strategy periodically in connection with significant initiatives and acquisitions, as well as part of its oversight of our executive and equity compensation programs. At the management level, our Vice President of Human Resources, who reports directly to our President and CEO, is responsible for the development and execution of the Company’s human capital strategy.

Engagement; Diversity and Belonging

Our engagement strategy focuses on developing the best workplace and best people leaders to meet our employees’ needs. We believe that strong employee engagement helps enable higher retention and better business performance. We assess our engagement performance through regular consultation with our managers and more formally via an annual engagement survey that assesses our employees’ overall experience.

This feedback informs and shapes our future employee-focused initiatives.  These initiatives in the past have resulted in changes in programs and policies, including expansion of our management and leadership development programs, addition of a parental leave program, expansion of our incentive programs to include annual cash bonuses to all professional employees and above, introduction of flexible working and expanding the breadth of our Diversity & Belonging Council and Employee Resource Groups (ERGs).

We believe a diverse workforce and culture of inclusion is essential to drive innovation, fuel growth and help ensure our technologies and products effectively serve a global customer base. The Company’s executive-sponsored Diversity and Belonging initiative is focused on providing a welcoming working environment for all employees, continued education, broadening our candidate pools, and implementing and sustaining programs. Our ERGs, coordinated under the guidance of our executive-sponsored Employee Resource Group Council, offer mentorship, support and engagement to help our employees, including those from underrepresented groups, succeed and thrive. As of June 30, 2021, we had 8 ERGs operating globally. Furthermore, as of June 30, 2021, 50% of our total employee population was female, and 44% of our managerial employees were female.  In the United States, 33% of our total employee population identified as nonwhite and 28% of our managerial employees identified as nonwhite.

Talent Development and Learning and Development

Bio-Techne invests in people development in the belief that growing and promoting employees from within the Company creates a more sustainable organization. High potential and promotable employees are identified through our annual Talent Management program, and are then equipped with a personal development and career advancement plan. These plans involve training and development from internal and external programs, together with mentoring and coaching.

Our global Learning and Development program delivers a wide range of initiatives including a validated suite of compliance training, soft skills, technical skills, business skills, interpersonal skills and career skills. Many of these programs are assigned to individuals specifically, but in addition, there is an expansive menu available to employees in order to accelerate their own development. As a company that regularly acquires other businesses, we believe it is important for employees to be trained in the skills and mindsets that enable them to respond positively to change. This initiative allows individuals to deal with change easily and reduces the need to run large scale change management programs.

Community

The Company believes in giving back and in supporting the local communities in which we live and work. Most sites or departments engage in local charitable causes and activities. In some of our sites, employees are encouraged to give through regular payroll deductions and through the annual campaign week where employee contributions are matched by the Company. United States employees receive a paid day off to participate in local opportunities to give back to the community.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Our success depends 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 in our terms and conditions and other sales-related documentation.

As of June 30, 2021, we had rights to approximately 350 granted patents and approximately 250 pending patent applications.  In particular, products in the Analytical Solutions and Genomics divisions are protected primarily through pending patent applications and issued patents. In addition, certain of our products are covered by licenses from third parties to supplement our own patent portfolio.  Patent protection, if granted, generally has a life of 20 years from the date of the patent application or patent grant. We cannot provide assurance that 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.

In addition to pursuing patents on our products, we also preserve much of our innovation as trade secrets, particularly in the Reagent Solutions division of our Protein Sciences segment. We have taken steps to protect our intellectual property and proprietary technology, in part by entering into confidentiality agreements and intellectual property assignment agreements with our employees, consultants, corporate partners and, when needed, our advisors. See the description of risks associated with the Company's intellectual property in “Item 1A.  Risk Factors.”

We can give no assurance that Bio-Techne's products do not infringe upon patents or proprietary rights owned or claimed by others. 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 typically 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 products to the research and/or diagnostics markets.

LAWS AND REGULATIONS

Our operations, and some of the products we offer, are subject to a number of complex laws and regulations governing the production, marketing, handling, transportation and distribution of our products and services.  The following sections describe certain significant regulations pertinent to the Company. These are not the only laws and regulations applicable to the Company’s business.  For a description of risks related to laws and regulations to which we are subject, refer to Item 1.A. Risk Factors.”

Medical Device Regulations 

A number of our products are classified as medical devices and are subject to restrictions under domestic and foreign laws, rules, regulations, self-regulatory codes and orders, including but not limited to the U.S. Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (the “FDCA”).  The FDCA requires these products, when sold in the United States, to be safe and effective for their intended uses and to comply with the regulations administered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”).  The FDA regulates the design, development, testing, manufacture, advertising, labeling, packaging, marketing, distribution, import and export and record keeping for such products.  Many medical device products are also regulated by comparable agencies in non-U.S. countries in which they are produced or sold.

Any medical devices we manufacture and distribute are subject to pervasive and continuing regulation by the FDA and certain state and non-U.S. agencies.  As a medical device manufacturer, our manufacturing facilities are subject to inspection on a routine basis by the FDA.  We are required to adhere to the Current Good Manufacturing Practices (“GMP”) requirements, as set forth in the Quality Systems Regulation (“QSR”), which require manufacturers, including third-party manufacturers, to follow stringent design, testing, control, documentation and other quality assurance procedures during all phases of the design and manufacturing process.

We must also comply with post-market surveillance regulations, including medical device reporting, or MDR, requirements which require that we review and report to the FDA any incident in which our products may have caused or contributed to a death or serious injury.  We must also report any incident in which our product has malfunctioned if that malfunction would likely cause or contribute to a death or serious injury it if were to recur.

Labeling and promotional activities are subject to scrutiny by the FDA and, in certain circumstances, by the Federal Trade Commission.  Medical devices approved or cleared by the FDA may not be promoted for unapproved or uncleared uses, otherwise known as “off-label” promotion.  The FDA and other agencies actively enforce the laws and regulations prohibiting the promotion of off-label uses.

In the European Union (“EU”), our products are subject to the medical device laws of the various member states, which are currently based on a Directive of the European Commission.  However, the EU has adopted the In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (the “EU IVDR”), which imposes stricter requirements for the marketing and sale of in vitro diagnostic medical devices, including in the area of clinical evaluation requirements, quality systems and post-market surveillance.  Manufacturers of currently approved in vitro diagnostics medical devices have until May 2022 to meet the EU IVDR.  Complying with EU IVDR, the regulation applicable to the Company, requires material modifications to our quality management systems, additional resources in certain functions, updates to technical files and additional clinical data in some cases, among other changes.

One of our products under our Exosome Diagnostics brand is offered as a test by a certified laboratory under CLIA. Our Asuragen business also maintains a CLIA certification. Consequently, we must comply with state licensing regulations applicable to laboratories regulated under CLIA, governing laboratory practices and procedures.

Other Healthcare Laws

Several of the products sold in our Diagnostics and Genomics segment are subject to various health care related laws regulating fraud and abuse, research and development, pricing and sales and marketing practices, and the privacy and security of health information, including, among others:

	●	U.S. federal regulations regarding quality and cost by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”), including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”), as well as comparable state and non-U.S. agencies responsible for reimbursement and regulation of healthcare goods and services, including laws and regulations related to kickbacks, false claims, self-referrals and healthcare fraud.

	●	U.S. Federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits persons from knowingly and willfully soliciting, offering, receiving or providing remuneration (including any kickback or bribe), directly or indirectly, in exchange for or to induce either the referral of an individual, or the furnishing or arranging for a good or service, for which payment may be made in whole or in part under a federal health care program, such as Medicare or Medicaid.

	●	Comparable laws and regulations similar to, and in some cases more stringent than, the U.S. federal regulations discussed above and below, including the UK Bribery Act and similar anti-bribery laws.

	●	The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”), which prohibits knowingly and willfully (1) executing, or attempting to execute, a scheme to defraud any health care benefit program, including private payors, or (2) falsifying, concealing or covering up a material fact or making any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement in connection with the delivery of or payment for health care benefits, items or services. In addition, HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009, also restricts the use and disclosure of patient identifiable health information, mandates the adoption of standards relating to the privacy and security of patient identifiable health information and requires the reporting of certain security breaches with respect to such information.

	●	The False Claims Act, which imposes liability on any person or entity that, among other things, knowingly presents, or causes to be presented, a false or fraudulent claim for payment by a federal health care program, knowingly makes, uses or causes to be made or used, a false record or statement material to a false or fraudulent claim, or knowingly makes a false statement to avoid, decrease or conceal an obligation to pay money to the U.S. federal government.

	●	The Open Payments Act requires manufacturers of medical devices covered under Medicare to, in certain circumstances, record payments and other transfers of value to a broad range of healthcare providers and teaching hospitals and to report this data as well as ownership and investment interests held by the physicians described above and their immediate family members to HHS for subsequent public disclosure, as well as similar reporting requirements in some states and in other countries.

For a discussion of risks related to regulation by the FDA and comparable agencies of other countries, and the other regulatory regimes referenced above, please refer to section entitled “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”

Data Privacy and Security Laws

As a global organization, we are subject to data privacy and security laws, regulations, and customer-imposed controls in numerous jurisdictions as a result of having access to and processing confidential, personal and/or sensitive data in the course of our business.  In addition to the U.S. HIPAA privacy and security rules mentioned above, which impact some parts of our business, individual states also regulate data breach and security requirements and multiple governmental bodies assert authority over aspects of the protection of personal  privacy.  In particular, a broad privacy law in California, the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”), came into effect in January 2020.  The CCPA has some of the same features as the GDPR (discussed below), and has already prompted several other states to follow with similar laws.  The EU General Data Protection Regulation that became effective in May 2018 (“GDPR”) has imposed significantly stricter requirements in how we collect, transmit, process and retain personal data, including, among other things, in certain circumstances a requirement for almost immediate notice of data breaches to supervisory authorities and prompt notice to data subjects with significant fines for non-compliance.  Several other countries such as China and Russia have passed, and other countries are considering passing, laws that require personal data relating to their citizens to be maintained on local servers and impose additional data transfer restrictions.  For a discussion of risks related to improper disclosure of private information particularly as a result of cyber security incidents, please refer to section entitled “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”

Environmental Health and Safety Laws

We are also subject to various environmental health and safety laws and regulations both within and outside the U.S. Like other companies in our industry, our manufacturing and research activities involve the use and transportation of substances regulated under environmental health and safety laws including those relating to the transportation of hazardous materials.

Other Laws and Regulations Governing Our Sales, Marketing and Shipping Activities.

We are subject to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and various other similar anti-corruption and anti-bribery acts, which are particularly relevant to our operations in countries where the customers are government entities or are controlled by government officials.  Both we directly, and indirectly through our distributors, must comply with such laws when interacting with those entities.

As Bio-Techne’s businesses also include export and import activities, we are subject to pertinent laws enforced by the U.S. Departments of Commerce, State and Treasury.  Other nations’ governments have implemented similar export/import control and economic sanction regulations, which may affect the Company’s operations or transactions subject to their jurisdictions.

In addition, under U.S. laws and regulations, U.S. companies and their subsidiaries and affiliates outside the United States are prohibited from participating or agreeing to participate in unsanctioned foreign boycotts in connection with certain business activities, including the sale, purchase, transfer, shipping or financing of goods or services within the United States or between the United States and countries outside of the United States. If we, or certain third parties through which we sell or provide goods or services, violate anti-boycott laws and regulations, we may be subject to civil or criminal enforcement action and varying degrees of liability.

We are subject to laws and regulations governing government contracts, and failure to address these laws and regulations or comply with government contracts could harm our business by a reduction in revenue associated with these customers. We have agreements relating to the sale of our products to government entities and, as a result, we are subject to various statutes and regulations that apply to companies doing business with the government. We are also subject to investigation for compliance with the regulations governing government contracts. A failure to comply with these regulations could result in suspension of these contracts, criminal, civil and administrative penalties or debarment.

For a discussion of risks related to the above-referenced regulations, particularly with respect to our international operations, please refer to section entitled “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”

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). 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 (https://investors.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		61		President, Chief Executive Officer and Director		2013
James Hippel		50		Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer		2014
David Eansor		60		President, Protein Sciences		2014
Kim Kelderman		54		President, Diagnostics and Genomics		2018
Brenda Furlow		63		Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary		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 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 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 global company that provided 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.

David Eansor has been President of the Protein Sciences segment since July 1, 2018. Prior to that, he served as Senior Vice President, Biotechnology Division and as 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 Biologicals, 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.

Kim Kelderman joined Bio-Techne on April 30, 2018 as President, Diagnostics and Genomics. Prior to Bio-Techne, Mr. Kelderman was employed at Thermo Fisher Scientific where he led three different businesses of increasing scale and complexity. For the last three years, Mr. Kelderman managed the Platforms and Content of the Genetic Sciences Division, where he was responsible for the Instrumentation, Software, Consumables and Assays businesses, and brands such as Applied Biosystems and legacy Affymetrix. Before joining Thermo Fisher, Kim served as Senior Segment Leader at Becton Dickinson, managing the global Blood Tubes “Vacutainer” business.

Brenda Furlow joined the Company as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary on August 4, 2014. Prior to joining Bio-Techne, Ms. Furlow served as general counsel to emerging growth technology companies. Ms. Furlow was General Counsel for TomoTherapy, 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.