Molecular nanotechnology provider Zyvex announced today it is splitting the company into four separate businesses. "Restructuring the company into four units will allow us to leverage our strong technical position and focus on individual products, markets, customers, and new technologies," said Zyvex founder Jim Von Ehr. The four units are: Zyvex Instruments, Zyvex Performance Materials LLC, Zyvex Labs LLC and Zyvex Asia LLC. Zyvex Instruments is located at the company's existing headquarters in Richardson. It makes nanomanipulators and other tools and instrumentation for the semiconductor and advanced research markets. Zyvex Performance Materials, the formation of which was announced in April, is relocating from Richardson to Columbus, Ohio, the epicenter of the advanced materials industry, Zyvex said. The business incorporates carbon nanotubes into composite materials for the sporting goods, aerospace, defense and automotive industries. The company’s recently announced general manager, Thomas Hughes, was formerly COO for Applied Sciences Inc. and GM of Pyrograf Products, Inc., Applied Sciences' manufacturing affiliate. Zyvex Labs is engaged in research and development to develop next-generation MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) -based instruments and to commercialize atomically precise manufacturing, Zyvex said. Von Ehr will oversee the management and direction of that group, which will remain in Richardson. Singapore-based Zyvex Asia will provide R&D support to the other Zyvex units and work to commercialize nanotechnology in Asia, the company said. Zyvex also announced today the hiring of Randy Schussler as general manager of Zyvex Instruments. Schussler, a 20-year high-technology industry veteran, formerly served as president of Codekko Software, was the first operations executive at telecom startup Xtera Communications and was in charge of manufacturing operations in the US, Mexico and China for STB/3dfx. For more information, visit: www.zyvex.com