Tangent taps Accuri, HandyLab vet as CEO

Ann Arbor, MI-based Tangent Medical Technologies, which makes next-generation intravenous access systems, has tapped Jeffrey Williams as its CEO, succeeding Hank Brown.

Williams is a familiar face in Ann Arbor med tech, having served as president and CEO of Accuri Cytometers until its sale this past March. Since that time, he has been Life Magnetics' CEO. It unclear whether he will remain at that company in any capacity, as Crain's Detroit reports.

Prior to joining Accuri, Williams was the president and CEO of HandyLab, a molecular diagnostic company. Both HandyLab and Accuri were bought by Becton, Dickinson ($BDX). Xconomy noted in February the HandyLabs deal was not without controversy, as BD eventually decided to shut down HandyLabs's office in Ann Arbor.

The successful Williams also co-founded Genomic Solutions, leading it to its IPO on NASDAQ in 2000 and merger with Harvard Biosciences in late 2002.

Williams seems enthusiastic about Tangent, which he says has a lot in common with HandyLab and Accuri. "All three companies target multi-billion dollar markets with revolutionary products that offer many advantages over the competition. The one major difference is Tangent will have the added advantage of generating nearly one hundred percent of its revenues from recurring consumable sales," he says in a statement. "The team has made tremendous progress with product development in a very short amount of time and with little capital. I am confident that we will successfully launch our initial product into the billion-dollar-plus IV catheter market within the next year."

- read the Tangent Medical release
- check out the Crain's Detroit story