Markes International is a manufacturer and supplier of specialist analytical instrumentation that enhances the sensitivity and application scope of GC–MS. They also manufacture and supply complementary sampling devices, accessories, and consumables.^[1]

Markes International was founded in 1997. Their first thermal desorption instrument, the UNITY, was released shortly thereafter. The company has since updated and expanded their instrument portfolio, including a wider range of thermal desorbers, and Centri, a range of automated sample preparation and pre-concentration platforms.

Markes’ factory, technical centre and headquarters is in Bridgend, Wales, UK. In 2011, they expanded this and their US operations (Markes International, Inc.) - adding extra laboratory and demonstration facilities. In 2017 their US operations transferred from Cincinatti, Ohio, to a new office in Gold River, Sacramento, California.

In 2013, Markes became a company of the Schauenburg International Group,^[2] and opened a technical centre near Frankfurt as part of their German operations (Markes International GmbH).

The company has arrangements for distribution and market development with Agilent Technologies,^[3] ThermoFisher Scientific,^[4] and a number of other distributors.

Markes International holds patents for a number of technological innovations, including diffusion-locking caps and inserts for sorbent tubes,^[5][6][7] RFID tags for sorbent tubes,^[8] and a soft electron ionisation source.^[9]

The company received the Queen's Award for Enterprise in the 'International Trade' category in 2015^[10] and 2019, and was also honoured in the 'Innovation' category in 2019.^[11]