Scientific equipment company Scientific Solutions Inc. not only sells equipment – its team also installs it and educates clients on how to use it efficiently and effectively. Company growth over the last few years has been astronomical, with cannabis and isolates at the forefront of the company’s success. Cannabis Brightline spoke with the company’s three partners, who have over 38 years of combined experience in the cannabis space, John Cantril, Mclain Meenderink, and Nick Spriggs, to find out more.
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The company began in 2013 when the three partners were trying to buy laboratory equipment. They were building mobile laboratories and had to obtain products from multiple manufacturers and vendors which could be very frustrating. “No one would give you the right answer. They were always trying to sell their own equipment, and there were typically other companies that could offer better equipment,” says John.

This is where Scientific Solutions found its calling by becoming a one-stop shop to fulfill all the client’s equipment needs, as well as incorporating on-site training and installation. It also helps develop standard operating procedures and writes applications. It started with a couple of manufacturers and distributors and has branched out to carry over 200 thousand products from over one hundred manufacturers.

“We decided to switch roles and provide the equipment and knowledge base to use it. I think we’ve done well over the last few years. Some of our happy clients have claimed that we have moved them farther in two weeks than others accomplished in three months – at half the cost,” says Mclain.

The company’s main role now is serving clients engaged in large-scale hemp and cannabidiol (CBD) production. Scientific Solutions concentrates mostly on the states of California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Arizona, and Colorado but also has clients in Florida and Canada as well as worldwide.

“We have one supplier that currently carries equipment out of Chilliwack, Valley Indoor Hydroponics. They help us by carrying a lot of smaller renewable items and ancillary equipment and remediation equipment. With legalization in Canada, we have noticed a larger surge with shops and consultants,” says Mclain. The hope is that, as Canada learns more about the industry, the business opportunities will increase as Scientific Solutions has equipment for every type of extraction.

The company is the number one distributor of the Pope Scientific, Across International, Welch, and PolyScience brands. Pope – the biggest seller presently – is based in Wisconsin and makes stills primarily used for refining oils.

“For something that can produce as much as the two-inch Pope, you will be charged $40 to $45 thousand, and depending on add-ons, could run as much as $100,000 with other providers. The price went up recently for Pope, but at $50,000, it is still half the price,” says John.

“The next biggest seller is hydrocarbon extractors, based on the return you get. It is a very efficient and cost-effective means of extracting a large amount of material. It is another big seller from Purge Labs out of Venetia, California,” says Nick.

Scientific Solutions largest seller for ethanol extraction is Delta Separations Cup-15. The larger Cup-30 has recently come out this year and there are already a half dozen orders for that product for hemp production from the Midwest to the east coast.

Scientific Solutions has sold equipment to research and development facilities like BAE Systems, a military contractor, and the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado. Another area served is the mining industry where the company sold equipment to be used at the Barrick Gold Corporation’s Goldstrike – ball mills were needed for assay sample testing.

“Another small, growing part of our market would be schools. We are merging into that now and selling small items such as pipette tubes and centrifuges,” says Nick.

Scientific Solutions goes far beyond the sale of equipment into the realm of training and education. Customers who buy Pope Scientific stills can come to the offices of Scientific Solutions and train on distillation equipment.

“We also do installation, client training, write applications, and standard operating procedures, along with map layouts and designs,” says John. “We really try to help our clients with every aspect of the business,” adds Mclain.

An example of the services is the work it did for a company called Everything Diesel in Colorado that already had an extractor selected and needed complementary materials and equipment. “We provided them with filter, distillation, and isolation equipment. We went through the layout of their building. Everything fit within, and it arrived on their timeline. When it came in, since they were in a different state, it was not possible to come in for the training to our offices. I held a series of Skype calls with them that lasted for three to four hours and helped them put it together,” says Mclain.

Scientific Solutions has thirteen employees and is adding to its staff. There is a sales department, marketing department, training department, and legal applications department for cannabis or hemp laboratories. There is also an accounting and back office group.

In 2017, the company brought in $1 million in revenue, and in 2018 that shot up to $12 million. This is attributable mainly due to growth in the cannabis space. “We can access public information of who the future licensees are as more states come on board with legalization. We will contact them, and this will greatly help with our growth strategy,” says Nick.

The goal for Scientific Solutions is to be publicly traded in the next year or so. The company is getting ready, acquiring staff, building infrastructure, and increasing its advertising budget and presence at trade shows.

The equipment comes from all around the world, and the knowhow comes from the U.S. Companies from the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia find it online and call to inquire about establishing laboratory infrastructure.

“Macedonia is in the process of setting up a ten-thousand-acre hemp farm in China with a processing lab capable of making one hundred percent of the material on site. From plant material to finished CBD isolate. We are seeing more growth in hemp and CBD,” says John. The company will have to adapt as the market matures, but it is ready.