Blink Science in Larimer: what it might look like

JOHNSTOWN — Blink Science Inc. fleshed out pre-nascent plans to occupy a manufacturing facility in Larimer County, saying the plant would be one of several in the U.S. 

The new plant is expected to be in Johnstown.

Last week, the Colorado Economic Development Commission unanimously agreed that the state should offer Jacksonville-based Blink up to $2.1 million in tax incentives to bring nearly 300 jobs here. EDC materials said the average annual wages of those roles would be about $68,100. Credits would be disbursed over eight years and depend also on Blink raising at least 75% of $12.5 million it seeks in its current funding round.

Product

Blink President Eric Doherty said its first product, Blink HealthPass, involves electronic health records for use in global travel or other situations by companies and education institutions. 

A press release in August said the pass uses a mobile app and cloud-based storage, and “helps companies aggregate and standardize [materials] ensuring a safe operating environment while maintaining privacy.”

Results are readable in more than a hundred languages, Doherty said.

A second product is a highly sensitive “electrochemical, biosensor diagnostic test” that gives fast results, he said.

Doherty compared the testing process and product to handheld blood sugar testing devices. Elements of this product offering would be built at the Larimer site.

“It’s similar to the glucose strips,” he said, “with layer upon layer” laid down on the strip before it’s done.

The factory could make 40,000 strips an hour, he said.

The two Blink products interact so test results would upload immediately to the records.

Company

Blink would occupy up to 125,000 square feet in Larimer County, including labs, offices and manufacturing. The company is looking at several states — Utah and California among them — for its Western U.S. location. It wants four in different parts of the country.

“Redundant facilities, different assays, other tests,” he said of the multi-pronged goal. “Rapid response to something new, for instance, means you need multiple locations.”

The company has 75 employees and contract workers; about half are full-timers. It was founded by CEO and Chairman Billy Meadow, who has started or worked with companies involved in medical payments, defense logistics and internet-based long-distance calling.

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