Success story: Athens Research & Technology
John Mitchell, the CEO of Athens Research, sat down with us to share his perspective and how he views our collaboration evolving over time.
Interview
1. Can you provide a brief introduction about yourself?
My name is John Mitchell, and I serve as CEO of Athens Research & Technology, a U.S.-based life sciences manufacturer specializing in the purification of high-quality native proteins and antibodies. We serve academic, diagnostic, and industrial clients globally, with a strategic focus on the IVD and Cell Culture Media markets.
2. Why did you decide to start a partnership with EuroDev? What was your main challenge or need at the time?
We partnered with EuroDev to support our strategic expansion into Europe. Our key challenge was identifying and onboarding qualified distribution partners across multiple EU regions. We needed a team with local market knowledge, language fluency, and access to regional life science networks.
3. What is the main positive takeaway from partnering with EuroDev?
EuroDev was instrumental in helping us quickly understand the European distributor landscape and assess potential partners for best fit. They played a vital role in securing meetings with high-value targets and participated in on-site visits, lending credibility and professionalism to our team. Their efforts accelerated traction across Europe and provided seamless support as an extension of our business development team.
4. Were there any unexpected upsides to this collaboration (business-related or other)?
Yes—beyond identifying distributors, EuroDev helped us refine our messaging for European audiences and provided valuable insights into local purchasing behavior. They also helped shape our internal processes for evaluating and onboarding distributors, which has improved our overall approach to international growth.
5. How would you describe your business 6 months into the collaboration with EuroDev?
At the start, we were not fully prepared to launch a European distributor program. Six months in, we had a clear picture of what the “ideal” distributor looks like for Athens and what we needed to develop internally before onboarding partners. EuroDev also supported our direct sales efforts by engaging strategic customers. By month 11, we launched our first distributor engagement program, fully equipped with refined messaging and marketing collateral. While the process was slower than anticipated, it was ultimately the right approach.
6. Have you worked with any companies similar to EuroDev in the past? If yes, how would you describe the variation in the process?
We’ve worked with independent consultants in the past, but EuroDev’s structured, team-based model delivered more consistent results and broader market access. Their coordination and reporting frameworks brought greater visibility and accountability. Every company enters these engagements at a different stage—EuroDev’s strength lies in their ability to meet partners where they are and work collaboratively to create a tailored path forward.
7. Did you experience any challenges during this partnership?
The primary challenge was internal bandwidth—making sure we had the resources in place to act on the opportunities EuroDev was generating. EuroDev was flexible and helped us prioritize efforts. Weekly Microsoft Teams meetings proved essential in maintaining alignment and momentum across both teams.
8. Is there anything you would improve in this collaboration?
While the distributor identification process was highly effective, transitioning EuroDev into a business development role targeting strategic customers highlighted the need to refine our customer journey and CRM workflow. Improving visibility and reducing communication redundancies would strengthen this next phase. That said, the existing reporting process has been very effective overall.
9. Are there any other thoughts you’d like to share?
Over the first 12+ months of working together, both Athens and EuroDev evolved. EuroDev demonstrated flexibility and a willingness to continuously refine the partnership to improve outcomes. We’ve been very pleased with the collaboration and view EuroDev as a long-term strategic partner in our continued global expansion.