AC Analytical Controls and Varian, Inc. Team to Build Customized Gas Chromatography Solutions

05-06-2001: AC Analytical Controls (AC) and Varian, Inc. (Nasdaq:VARI) announced today that they will jointly build customized gas chromatography solutions for the worldwide petrochemical industry. The solutions are based on Varian's unique 3800 gas chromatograph (GC) platform and AC's dedicated software. AC Analytical Control's relationship with Varian, Inc. marks the first time its products have been married to Varian gas chromatographs.

Varian, Inc. has developed application-specific GC systems for customers in natural gas, oil refining and petrochemical manufacturing industries and has also built custom solutions for specialty gas, environmental and pharmaceutical laboratories. Varian's 3800 GC system offers the petrochemical industry the flexibility of three channels allowing for more complex applications to be run on a single instrument.

The relationship forged between AC and Varian, Inc. will allow oil and gas companies the opportunity to choose among multiple GC platforms to meet individual company requirements.

"The powerful combination of AC Analytical Controls and Varian working together to provide tailored gas chromatography solutions allows our petrochemical customers greater flexibility to achieve their business goals," said Martin O'Donoghue, general manager of chromatography and analytical supplies, Varian, Inc.

"In response to customers' requirements, AC Analytical Controls now offers its well-known solutions on two different hardware and various software platforms," said Thijs Cohen, CEO of Analytical Controls.

The jointly developed AC and Varian customized gas chromatography solutions will be available in June 2001. The solutions meet or exceed ASTM specifications. Varian's customized GC solutions are manufactured and full tested at Varian, Inc. factories in Walnut Creek, California, U.S.A. and Middelburg, the Netherlands and fully supported by Varian's worldwide service organization. AC will continue to produce, market and sell its solutions for crude oil and distillates, naphtha and gasoline and refinery gas and natural gas, based on platforms of customersÕ choice.