Sarasota biotech firm hires 164

SARASOTA — Rapid Pathogen Screening Inc. will hire 164 new employees over the next five years, according to a release from the Economic Development Corp. of Sarasota.

The state of Florida and Sarasota County government approved $820,000 in performance-based incentives to support RPS' hiring efforts, the EDC says.

RPS develops diagnostic tests to help identify conditions and diseases in patients. Its main product, called Adeno Detector, is a test kit that can be used to identify “underlying source[s]” for cases of conjunctivitis, or pink eye.

CEO Thomas Orsini says the company plans to bring another nine new products to market once certain fundraising goals are met, necessitating this latest wave of growth.

In addition to adding 164 new employees to its staff, which is currently comprised of 25 workers, RPS could add up to 35,000 square feet of space to its headquarters. It now operates from a 3,300-square-foot facility in Lakewood Ranch.

To receive the $820,000 in approved funding, RPS must hire 164 full-time employees over the next five years, and pay those new employees an average wage of $72,104.