Ireland-based Identigen Ltd. isn’t just launching its North American operations in Lawrence.

The biotechnology company also is planning to have up to three dozen scientific, technical and specialized employees working in town by the end of next year.

“It’s not inconceivable that once our business offerings gain traction in the marketplace, we could be looking at perhaps a couple hundred employees in the state of Kansas over the next three to five years,” said Donald Marvin, the company’s president and chief executive officer for North American operations. “(That’s) principally in Lawrence and surrounding areas.”

The company, which focuses on animal identification and product-tracing through its proprietary “TraceBack” DNA technology, is working out of laboratory and office space at 4824 Quail Crest Place in western Lawrence.

Identigen is still setting up shop in Lawrence, with technical equipment still making its way “across the pond” from Ireland, Marvin said. The company was born 10 years ago at Trinity College in Dublin, and the business added larger labs in the city in 2004.

Now Lawrence is serving as headquarters for Identigen North America Inc., a new subsidiary for the privately held company. Its goal: help ensure safety for the $80 billion American market for beef and pork.

Identigen Ltd.'s new North American Division, 4824 Quail Crest Place in Lawrence, will be expected to have a dozen employees by year's end - with more on the way.

“This is our initial operation in North America,” Marvin emphasized Wednesday, after the company formally announced creation of the subsidiary and Marvin’s hiring as its president and CEO. “My guess is we’ll see a few others in the future, as well.”

Lawrence stood out as a starting point for several reasons, he said, including the city’s proximity to:

¢ Potential customers, especially those in the Kansas City area that are involved in the meat-packing and processing industry. “Those customers are very big customers, or potential customers,” Marvin said.

¢ Higher education. Being close to Kansas University and, especially, Kansas State University – with its focus on animal identification technology – was key. “We want to be very close to those operations to begin with,” Marvin said.

¢ Transportation. Access to Kansas City International Airport is important for delivery of meat samples for testing.

Also instrumental were incentives provided through the Kansas Bioscience Authority – vouchers for research at Kansas State University, plus money to help defray equipment costs – and the Kansas Department of Commerce.

The Lawrence Chamber of Commerce worked to help draw the company to Lawrence, but it has yet to solidify any financial incentives. Identigen is working out of leased space, and any potential tax abatement would be tied to future ownership of a building, said Beth Johnson, the chamber’s vice president for economic development.