About Us

It’s not what you make. It’s what we make possible together.

Partnering with customers to develop and manufacture life-changing pharmaceuticals has been our highest calling for decades. Customer innovations are brought to life by our people, working with purpose and supported by strong infrastructure that allows us to deliver on promises.

Our History

1960’s

Founding by Dr. Otto Sartorius. Incorporation in Minneapolis, MN as American Medical Research, Inc. with primary focus on microbial diagnostistic devices in 1965. ​
IPO and name change to DIAGNOSTIC Inc. in 1968. ​

Lifecore’s Senior Leadership Team

We are proud to collaborate with customers who create products that improve lives. We also recognize the importance of our role and our responsibilities to employees, customers, consumers, and the planet.
Paul Josephs

President & CEO

Ryan D. Lake, CPA

Chief Financial Officer

Tom Salus

Chief Legal and Administration Officer

Jackie Klecker

Executive Vice President, Quality and Development Services

Thomas Guldager

Sr. Vice President, Operations

Darren Hieber

Sr. Vice President of Corporate Development & Partnerships

Brikkelle Thompson

Sr. Vice President of Human Resources

Matt Augustson

Sr. Vice President of Information Technology

Phil Sticha

Vice President of Business Operations

Scott Collins

Vice President of Finance

Kipling Thacker, Ph.D.

Vice President & Chief Scientist

Rick Sitarz

Vice President of New Business Development

Lifecore Foundation

Just as we care about our employees, we care about the communities where we live and work. That’s why, in 1993, we created the Lifecore Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that coordinates volunteer efforts and charitable contributions from Lifecore Biomedical and our employees. We partner with other non-profits to donate goods, raise funds, provide services, and generate awareness for a variety of causes in the Twin Cities metro communities and beyond. Also, in alignment with our corporate position as a leading supplier to the ophthalmics industry, we support non-profits that provide ophthalmic-related services. 

Organizations that have benefitted from our work include the ASCRS Foundation’s Operation Sight, Toys for Tots, Feed My Starving Children, Love INC Carver County, and Make-A-Wish Foundation of Minnesota.

Tax ID: EN 41-1736832

Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG)

We are committed to developing our ESG framework based on globally recognized institutions. As stewards of the environment, we engage all levels of the organization to ensure our sustainability initiatives are executed with excellence. These initiatives are communicated within Lifecore through our Continuous Process Improvement team. Read our Environment, Health, Safety, and Sustainability (EHSS) policy.