Company Announcements

In September, American Laboratory Trading (ALT) announced that Agilent Technologies named it part of its Channel Partnership Program. ALT now offers Agilent’s factory-refurbished 1100 Series HPLC Systems and 6890 GC Systems, as well as individual components.

Hitachi High-Technologies’ Science and Medical Systems (SMS) fiscal second quarter sales ending September 30 grew 4.0% to ¥46.8 billion ($457 million) to account for 30% of company revenues (see IBO 10/31/16). Excluding currency headwinds and acquisitions, SMS organic sales grew roughly in the high-single digits. Growth was driven by demand for new clinical analyzers as well as strength in China. Excluding currency, Electron Microscopes sales grew roughly 1%, while Scientific Instruments sales jumped more than 20%. SMS operating margin contracted more than five percentage points to 11.3% due to currency and increased investments.

Third quarter sales for Mettler-Toledo’s Lab business grew 8%, 7% organically, to account for 48% of company revenues, or $312 million. All product lines contributed to sales growth. Demand remained strong from biopharmaceutical and food markets, especially in Europe and Asia. Overall, Lab sales climbed double digits in China, driven by demand for pipettes and pH products. Lab sales in the Americas grew, but were restrained by a strong comparison and slower academic and government funding.

Mettler-Toledo announced in November the opening of its Dubai Free Zone Competence Center to provide analytical support and training for customers operating in the Middle East and North Africa. It provides support for all of Mettler-Toledo’s Lab products.

In November, Fluidigm announced on its third quarter conference call changes to its organization following the appointment of new CEO Christopher Linthwaite (see IBO 10/31/16). The changes include the reintegration of the commercial organizations and realigned sales and marketing, combining the Applied Markets and Research teams. The new integrated selling team is aligned by geography. He also announced a re-examination of the cost structure and that product releases will be handled “in a more metered manner.”

Analytik Jena announced in November the opening of the Rhein-Main Application Center at Germany’s Fresenius University of Applied Sciences.

In November, Merck KGaA announced a €80 million ($89 million) investment in a Life Science Center in Nantong, China, to produce high-purity inorganic salts for APIs and excipients, cell culture media, and ready-to-use media for environmental and sterility testing.

Third quarter sales for Biotage climbed 11.6%, 9.5% excluding currency, to SEK 167.0 million ($19.6 million = SEK 8.52 = $1) (see Bottom Line). Driven by demand in China, sales were strong for its evaporation system, V-10 Touch and purification system, Isolera. The company also reported positive demand for aftermarket products in its analytical chemistry business. Overall, sales were led by growth in the Americas and China, which accounted for 46% and 9% of revenues, respectively. Operating margin extended 360 basis points to 16.3% due to favorable currency and productivity improvements.

In November, Bruker Energy and Supercon Technologies acquired Oxford Instruments’ Superconducting Wire business for $17.5 million in cash. The business generated revenue of £19.1 million ($26.2 million) for the six months ending September 30 and an operating profit of £1.1 million ($1.5 million).

Diploma reported that, for the fiscal year ending September 30, sales for its a1-group of environmental businesses increased 5% in constant currency to £18.7 million ($26.7 million). With a1, sales for the German-based businesses increased 13% in reported currency, including increased sales of high-end elemental and trace analyzers. Revenue for the UK-based ai-CBISS business declined 1%, with reduced revenue from CEMS sales.