Online auction site LabX.com has acquired the print and digital publication Lab Manager Magazine from Vicon Publishing Inc. of Amherst, New Hampshire. Over 150,000 lab professionals from all industries use Labx.com to buy and sell analytical instruments and general laboratory equipment and supplies. The company said the addition of the print publication solidifies its operational model as a marketplace where companies can locate both new and used laboratory products.

Under the new ownership, Lab Manager Magazine will release the next issue in the summer. The magazine will operate initially as a bi-monthly publication. LabX President Bob Kafato said in a press release, "We will continue to cater to Lab Managers while adding value to the publication from the LabX organization. This will help readers make more informed purchasing decisions."

LabX General Manager Ken Piech told AuctionBytes the acquisition goes against the trend of companies moving to the web, but said the it leverages the company's online strategy into a bricks and mortar print publishing arm. "We believe it's the focused nature of this magazine and content we can provide in this niche B2B industry that will continue to make it successful," he said. "Those readers (Lab Managers) are the decision makers and equipment buyers so the total resource for bidding/buying becomes unstoppable."

According to Piech, LabX has not yet decided whether to continue the conference started by the previous publisher.

http://www.labx.com