Raj Bhandari, a 2013 Ph.D. graduate of South Dakota State University, made the trip of a lifetime this spring.
After his company, Sciencix, was named the 2023 Small Business Exporter of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Bhandari—president and owner of the company—along with other company leaders, were invited to Washington, D.C., April 30-May 2 for National Small Business Week. During the celebration, Bhandari was able to make a trip to the White House and snapped a photo with President Joe Biden.
“I was honored to be invited to the White House and met with President Biden and Vice President Harris during Small Business Week and to be chosen by the U.S. Small Business Administration as the winner of the National Exporter of the Year,” Bhandari said. “As a young boy in Nepal who viewed America as a far-off place where dreams are realized, I never imagined my journey would lead me to walk across the historic grounds of the nation’s capital and stand face-to-face with the president of the United States. I am proud to be an American and raise my two children in a country that flourishes with diversity and educational opportunities that feed into a dynamic business community where a small company like Sciencix can thrive.”
Bhandari, a native of Nepal, earned his Ph.D. in analytical chemistry under the direction of Brian Logue ’95, professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Prior to his time at SDSU, Bhandari worked as a research assistant in the Harvard School of Public Health. He earned his undergraduate degree from St. Cloud State University in 2008.
“Raj is an outstanding individual. He displays such strong leadership and drive that I’m in no way surprised at his accomplishments, but the speed at which he became owner and president of his company and led them to this award—only 10 years following his Ph.D.—is amazing,” Logue said. “I see only more excellence in his future.”
Following graduation, Bhandari joined Sciencix and quickly climbed his way up the corporate ladder. In 2020, Bhandari was named the company’s president and has remained in that position since.
Sciencix, founded in 1985, manufactures high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry parts. Its applications stretch into drug testing, contamination analysis and pesticide detection, among others. Sciencix currently has over 20 employees. It’s headquartered in Cary, North Carolina.
“At Sciencix, our customers’ needs drive our efforts in technical engineering and product development,” Bhandari said. “We take pride that our products are assembled here in the U.S. and ship directly to locations around the world. Our diverse workforce at Sciencix is a reflection of our global customers, and so we dedicate this award to them—the people we serve in laboratories in over 100 countries who use our products every day for life-changing work and research that impacts our health, climate and environment, and how those will look for generations to come.”
Being named the 2023 Small Business Exporter of the Year is a prestigious honor from the federal government and underlines Sciencix’s growing reach into laboratories around the world.
Sciencix’s products can now be found in every continent and more than 100 countries. Exports account for one-third of Sciencix’s sales.
“With a growing list of clients around the globe, Sciencix has put SBA’s trade tools to work to grow and diversify their revenue and reap the many other benefits of international trade,” said Isabella Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration, in a press release.
“As we mark National Small Business Week this year, I am delighted to congratulate Sciencix owner Raj, and team leaders Ranjan and Lisa, for using the tools and resources available to them to grow their innovative business worldwide. Their powerful example shows how helping America’s small businesses start or grow their exports can create opportunity while driving competition and innovation.”
Addison DeHaven
