Company Announcements

In August, plaintiffs dismissed their class action suit against VWR alleging the sale of chemicals to Saddam Hussein’s regime that were later used as weapons (see IBO 7/31/09). In October, the same action against Thermo Fisher Scientific was dismissed.

Bruker Energy & Supercon Technologies announced the election of three new directors to expand its Board to six members: Brenda J. Furlong, a member of Bruker’s Board; Darmstadt University of Technology Professor Thomas Hartkopf; and Christopher van Ingen, former president of Agilent Life Sciences and Chemical Analysis.

The Telegraph Herald reported in October that Thermo Fisher Scientific plans to close its factory in Dubuque, Iowa, next year, which will impact 350 employees.

Nashuatelegraph.com reported in October that Thermo Fisher Scientific plans to close one of its two Hudson, New Hampshire, factories in 2010, affecting 130 employees. Production will move to a facility in Petaluma, California.

Pall announced in October the establishment of an Asia-Pacific headquarters in Singapore in partnership with the Singapore Economic Development Board.

Pall opened a 276,000-square-foot corporate headquarters in Port Washington, New York, in October.

GE reported that third-quarter revenue for GE Healthcare Life Sciences was flat.

GE Healthcare announced a strategic collaboration with GoIndustry DoveBid as part of its Scientific Asset Services programs.

In November, United Technologies agreed to acquire GE’s Security business for $1.82 billion.

Sartorius’ nine-month sales fell 1.9% (down 4.3% in constant currency) to €444.7 million ($606.7 million). Operating profit rose 8.3% to €43.9 million ($59.9 million) (see IBO 10/31/09). Biotechnology revenue grew 9.0% (6.7%) to €298.0 million ($406.5 million) and orders rose 12.7% (10.3%), driven by sales of single-use products. Mechatronics sales declined 18.5% (down 21.1%) to €146.8 million ($200.3 million) and orders fell 18.0% (down 20.6%), as sales to the chemical industry declined.

In October, Sartorius inaugurated a 107,640-square-foot plant at its site in Bangalore, India. Sartorius’ staff in India totals nearly 500.

For the six-month period ended June 30, Hitachi High-Technology Life Sciences’ Biotechnology-related sales declined 3.2% to ¥9,000 million ($92.4 million). The company reduced its fiscal 2010 forecast for the business by 4.3% to ¥220,000 million ($2.3 billion).

EraGen Biosciences formed a strategic partnership with Illumina for cross-licensing their respective molecular reagents for in vitro diagnostics and BeadXpress platform.

Product Introductions

Metrohm launched Metrohm Quality Service, a new brand for customized service.