Take Ten with Team HPNE: Meet BPES’s Will Thompson
This month we talked to Will Thompson, Technical Sales Specialist of HPNE products for BPES to learn more about what makes the bioprocessing industry in the UK unique, his knowledge base in pharma and bioprocessing,
Prior to working at BPES selling HPNE products, you had previous experience as a scientist. Could you tell us a little bit about your professional career leading up to your current role?
My work at BPES has been a transition out of the lab and back into my area of interest, biotechnology. Prior to joining BPES I was a senior scientist at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) working on the production of genomic data for national monitoring of SARS-COV-2. Before this, I spent some time as a team lead in a clinical diagnostics lab based in Nottingham, England.
You represent our line of HPConnexx™ Single-Use Assemblies. What would you say makes these assemblies stand out in comparison with other solutions on the market in the UK?
HPConnexx™ allows the UK market to simply get what they need, rather than having to compromise.
I can confidently say that these products stand out in the UK market for several reasons. Firstly, HPConnexx™ offers an almost limitless range of customization options through being brand agnostic. This flexibility allows customers to precisely tailor their single-use assemblies to meet specific process requirements without compromises, which is a significant advantage over the more rigid solutions. Additionally we understand our customers' challenges and that long lead times and minimum order quantities pose problems – that’s why we are able to deliver lead times measured in weeks not months and impose no minimum order quantity whatsoever.
Additionally, the support provided by both HPNE and BPES from the initial concept through to delivery is exceptional. Our teams are committed to not just meeting, but exceeding customer expectations. With HPConnexx™, our clients gain more than just a product; they acquire a dedicated partner committed to their ongoing success.
In your opinion, what makes the bioprocessing industry in the United Kingdom unique?
For me the bioprocessing industry in the United Kingdom is distinguished by its formidable academic strength. Home to some of the world's leading universities and research institutions, the UK provides a fertile ground for cutting-edge biotech research and innovation. This academic strength is critical in nurturing the sector, with continuous streams of new scientific insights and developments. The industry also benefits from an advanced regulatory framework and a tradition of cross-sector collaboration.
The presence of a highly skilled workforce, emerging from these esteemed academic institutions, further solidifies the UK’s position as a leader in the global bioprocessing landscape.
Along with the BPES team, you have attended multiple trade shows. Which have been your favorite to attend, and what were your major takeaways from those events?
Bioprocess UK would be number 1 for me so far. It has high quality speakers and attendees. A great environment to learn and network. Also nice to have Mark, CEO of High Purity New England, and Steve Bellanti, International Sales Manager, join us from HPNE for the show and dinners.
Advanced Therapies was also fantastic in terms of the coverage and depth of topics in the various streams of talks & discussions.
We are also looking forward to exhibiting at ESACT in Edinburgh (June 23-26) where Steve will be joining us. You can find us at booth #52.
What do you think are some advantages to implementing single-use into your bioprocess?
What are some of your strategies for collaborating with #TeamHPNE to ensure our messaging and products reach your market?
The HPNE team are so easy to work with. We benefit from their talented and active marketing team which we leverage in order to share a wide range of content with our market. More recently we have enjoyed a 3D rendering of a complex flow path that nicely captures the capabilities of HPConnexx™ — we display this at tradeshows & exhibitions.
Also worth a mention here is the close relationship BPES has with International Sales Manager Steve Bellanti and members of client services, production planning & logistics and sales. We regularly have catch up meetings involving Matt Sitcoske, Director of Sales, and this support across the board means that we have strong alignment on our messaging and products to reach our growing customer base.
In 2023, you visited our headquarters in Smithfield, Rhode Island. What was that experience like?
Great experience. Having only joined BPES a month or so before, it was fantastic to be able to meet the team at HPNE face-to-face so quickly. I spent just short of two weeks being shown all aspects of HPNEs operations, from client services & logistics to engineering and production. From this I was able to form strong relationships & understand some of the processes that make HPNE unique. It also must be said that the hospitality was top notch - I was never short of food or drinks.
If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be, and why?
Would be a curry for me. Chicken Jalfrezi, rice, naan & all the trimmings. Its full of flavor and it’s just something I wouldn’t get bored of.
What is your favorite place you have traveled to, and why?
This is a tough one as I love to travel! I’ll say Sardinia, which is somewhere I visited recently and really enjoyed. It had amazing restaurants, bars, weather & stunning beaches. We took our own boat out for the day on the clearest water I’ve ever seen with amazing views of the granite cliffs.
Is there anything you think we missed or any other questions you would add?
Just that BPES very much value our partnership with HPNE and we look forward to an exciting second half of 2024!
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About HPNE
As the industry needs grow, High Purity New England, Inc. continues to supply the biopharmaceutical industry with a range of innovative products, from drug discovery and development to fill-finish, including their flagship product, custom single-use assemblies, as well as pumps, sensors, bioreactor systems, storage and handling solutions and other single-use solutions. Along with their own manufactured products for the global market, they are also a distributor for more than 18 brands in North America.
