About - Vandstrom

Progressive vision on a trusted foundation

We’re making a big impact today, and have big plans for tomorrow.

Vandstrom is focused on harnessing protein through the application of high-performance membranes, providing greater value for today’s industry and laying the foundation for an evolutionary leap in separation technology.

With our nimble structure, our vertical focus, and our state-of-the-art facilities, we help our customers gain greater efficiency without compromising the purity of their end product.

Our Vision

To enhance industrial operations and the quality of life through separation science

Our Mission

To strive to be the most admired company in the industry, and one which attracts customers and talent through a reputation for excellence in all things

Our Core Values and Operating Principles

Science
Results Orientation
Open Communication
Agility
Continuous Learning
Diversity/Equity/Inclusivity
Community

Leadership letter

by Mads Clausen
Vandstrom Chairman

Vandstrom is built on a passion for doing more with less and supporting a leaner and cleaner world through engineering. In the late 2000s, we invested in a membrane science company, and I found myself fascinated with how a product that is technically an industrial consumable, most often manufactured into standard-elements, could also in many cases be a key to speeding up the rate-limiting step of a given process, enabling customers to achieve leaner operations or increase capacity in their applications.

The vision of the biomimetic membrane is a manifestation of our intense focus on pushing boundaries in performance. At Vandstrom, we strive to be pioneers in the application of transmembrane proteins for industrial process separation – using the most efficient separation principle which has evolved over billions of years. I am reminded of a mantra of my grandfather, an engineer and industrialist, which applies perfectly to the pursuit of a biomimetic membrane: “if everyone can do it, we shouldn’t do it – but if no one can do it, maybe we have a shot”.

In our pursuit of the biomimetic membrane, we’ve developed novel and proprietary porous polymeric membranes, and we have in recent years integrated manufacturing operations around these products adjacent to our laboratories in Gaithersburg. I am proud of everything our team has achieved over the years and I am very excited about the opportunities ahead for Vandstrom.

Our Team

Vandstrom is built on a pioneering philosophy and is driven by the experience of industry veterans and technologists.

Imran Jaferey

President and CEO

“Working with a team to solve ‘unsolvable’ problems society faces has always been what motivates me. I’ve been fortunate to work with people from all over the world and with a variety of backgrounds, and being able to draw on that diversity is what has driven success in any organization I have been part of.”

William Harvey

Vice President, Corporate Development & Commercial Operations

“The most exciting thing to me is to bring a new technology to market. Solving big, critical problems in a novel way can be anxious for some, but I live for that edge. Being part of transformations, and having a big impact in mission-critical business and in people’s lives as well – this is what drives me every day.”

Oliver Geschke

Vice President, Research and Development

“Interdisciplinary research and development has always been my personal driver. Producing excellent state of the art membrane products is already somewhat complex, but combining classical membrane technology with novel polymer chemistry and biotechnology add at least one extra layer of complexity. Only by connecting curious minds with various backgrounds that these complex problems can be solved.”

Keith Ortman

Sr. Director of Product Management and Engineering

“I am an intellectually curious and entrepreneurial engineer with over a decade of experience blending technical knowledge with market strategy to drive growth of various product lines primarily in the food and beverage industry. I enjoy learning about new things, people, and places. I get a lot of satisfaction from the hard work that comes with solving challenges and continuous improvement. You’ll most likely find me collaborating in a team and scratching my head, asking “yes, but why do we do it that way?”

Brian Meyers

Director of Finance

“I enjoy working on teams that are focused on developing new technologies with the potential to make the world a better place for all of us. Here at Vandstrom, we look past the horizon to overcome not just today’s problems, but the challenges society will face in the future. I am excited to see how we can change our environment.”

Meron Cherenet

Sr. Director of Business Processes

“I have a real passion for people and science and always wanted to be part of a business whose fundamental purpose is human well-being. I am thrilled to work with people genuinely committed to impacting lives through scientific innovations.”

Our History

October 2012

Applied Biomimetic founded

June 2016

Debut of Ultrafiltration product

Field trials begin in food, dairy and industrial-scale life sciences

February 2017

DairySep ultrafiltration product brand launched

June 2017

First product sale to Dow Jones 30 industrial company

November 2017

DairySep element receives USDA sanitary certification

February 2018

Applied Biomimetic moves headquarters to Gaithersburg, MD

January 2021

Facility expansion in Gaithersburg

April 2022

Product and facility certification:

ISO 9001: 2015, Halal, and Kosher

May 2022

Company renamed Vandstrom

Careers

Want To Join Vandstrom?

Your expert knowledge in biochemistry, molecular biology, proteins, polymer technology or commercial maturation of a high-tech product may help us help the world. We also value unique customer application knowledge of membranes and related products across industries where separation science is crucial to their operations.

At our site in Gaithersburg, Maryland, we are currently concentrating on research and development, product engineering, application testing, and manufacturing of our products.

We also have remote workers in many job functions contributing in very novel and modern ways. We are interested in receiving applications from candidates who are inspired by what we do and what we hope to achieve. Please send your resume and any relevant information (text document only) by email at resumes@vandstrom.com.

Available Career Opportunities (Updated August 2023):

Regional Commercial Manager – USA

Manager – Application Engineering