Small team – large customer base
The DrugWipe quick screening drug test, the flagship product of Securetec Detektions-Systeme AG, is exported in its millions across the globe. It is just as small and flexible as the Securetec team, which numbers around 60 employees. Despite soaring demand, the company has remained true to its German roots, with its company headquarters and production site still located in Neubiberg near Munich.
A hidden champion and market leader
Rudolf Zimmermann, the founder of Securetec AG, was correct in his assessment of the market opportunities back in the 1990s. Strategic partnerships with police forces and customs authorities enabled extensive field trials in which the earliest version of DrugWipe was used for targeted testing. Even “The Times” reported on this in Britain in 1997.1 It all began with just a handful of colleagues.
Today, the Board of Directors of Securetec AG consists of Verena Zimmermann (daughter of the founder) and Stefan Masur. Verena Zimmermann acts as a personal point of contact for customers worldwide, supported by a strong sales team. This has resulted in sales figures of around 2.5 million tests per year – and rising.
“Pink for cocaine”2
After the company was established in 1995, several newspaper articles with enigmatic headlines such as this reported on the first field applications of the DrugWipe quick screening drug test, which would go on to gain recognition among police forces and customs authorities worldwide. These highlighted the efficiency and visual clarity of the test, which officers could use to verify their subjective suspicions of individuals driving under the influence of drugs. At that time, the entire test strip turned pink to indicate a positive result, e.g. for cocaine.
In use worldwide – and not only for road safety
Thanks to the benefits offered by DrugWipe, it didn’t take long for the test to impress a large number of authorities outside of Germany, who found themselves confronted by a growing need for reliable and mobile rapid screening drug tests. These included the British Ministry of the Interior, which officially approved the use of a DrugWipe variant by British police in 2015. It is the only mobile rapid screening drug test used in roadside screening in Great Britain.
Improved road safety
Many countries have spent years waging war on drug driving. DrugWipe provides them with a reliable partner in their efforts. Verena Zimmermann explains the test’s success in a nutshell: “Our customers love DrugWipe because it’s so easy and fast to use and delivers reliable results.” It is the company’s stated aim to improve safety for road users. It therefore supports international partners, such as the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) and Roadpol, the European Roads Policing Network, in awareness-raising campaigns, Europe-wide screening initiatives and professional training.
Alternative areas of use
DrugWipe has also proven its strengths in other areas of use:
Safer watersports: Every summer season, the police in South Australia use DrugWipe to conduct preventive drug screening of jet skiers and boat skiers on Lake Bonney.
Medical emergencies: According to a Finnish study, DrugWipe is a valuable additional instrument in pre-clinical diagnostics. For example, it can quickly indicate which substance has been ingested in the event of a poisoning emergency.3
A consistent focus on users
Right up to the present day, the company continues to work in close collaboration with international police forces and customs authorities, as well as private-sector companies. Rather than being an “off-the-shelf” rapid screening drug test, DrugWipe can be customized as required to meet the individual and at times very diverse needs of customers. This automatically results in a process of ongoing development that is always market-aligned and always has a finger on the pulse of the latest trends.
The journey is the reward
Another goal driving the company is collaboration based on trust and appreciation. Customers in almost 50 countries worldwide value its reliability. However, Securetec isn’t content to simply rest on its laurels. It is currently planning to construct a new company building that will be about twice as large as the current one. This makes it clear that Securetec AG intends to stay true to its roots in Neubiberg near Munich. The company is also looking confidently ahead towards a future shaped by growth, success and stability.
Crisis-resilient into the future
Securetec had the honour of ranking among the top 100 most crisis-resilient of almost 5,500 companies in Germany in 2024. This was the assessment of the SZ-Institut and Creditreform Group, which collaborated to evaluate the crisis-resilience strategies of German companies between 2020 and 2022.4
References:
1: Richard Ford, The search for a super breathalyser, The Times, 28 June 1997; 2: O. V., Kokain macht rosa (“Pink for cocaine”), Kurier, 18 May 1997; 3: M. Söderqvist et al., Substance abuse among emergency medical service patients. Point of Care, 2018. 17: p. 47-49; 4: O. V., Sicherheit – auch in schwierigen Zeiten (“Resilience – even in tough times”), sueddeutsche.de, 27 August 2024
Images provided by:
Securetec Detektions-Systeme AG; AdobeStock_240245085; AdobeStock_91577525
