Multisorb Technologies
While studying engineering and business in college, John S. Cullen developed a fascination with the process of protecting products from damage by moisture, odors and exposure to oxygen.Cullen parlayed that fascination into a business enterprise, Multisorb Technologies, which was formed in 1961 and today is a $40 million-a-year company employing almost 400 people. It listed by Business First as one of the Top 100 private firms in Western New York.
For Cullen’s innovation and entrepreneurial spirit and the steady growth his company has shown, Multisorb Technologies is a recipient of a 2000 Galanis Award for Excellence in Family Business.
Multisorb Technologies manufactures and distributes fabricated sorbents, or “desiccants,” which act as drying agents. The products are used in a number of industries. The firm makes the small packets of absorbents used in pill bottles, vitamin containers and packages of meat. It also produces drying agents used by the automotive and electronics industries to protect products from moisture and gases. Each year, Multisorb turns out 500 million of these products at its 170,000-square-foot facility in Buffalo.
Multisorb continues to grow, both financially and in terms of employment. The number of workers could approach 500 in two years. The company invests in its employees, offering 45 hours of annual training.
Cullen had at one time considered a move from Buffalo, but decided against it due to his commitment to his employees. He remains dedicated to serving the Buffalo community, particularly through his involvement with the Super Span Upper Niagara Coalition, a group that is lobbying for a replacement of the Peace Bridge between the U.S. and Canada.