Company Announcements

In March, a Delaware District Court consolidated shareholders’ class action suits against Illumina’s Board, alleging breach of fiduciary duties in connection with Roche’s tender offer (see IBO 1/31/12).

In February, Waters acquired the net assets of its Israeli sales and service distributor for $6 million in cash.

DKSH, a provider of market expansion services whose Technology unit distributes and services lab instruments and equipment, listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange in March, raising CHF 820.8 million ($896.9 million).

In March, Techcomp entered into an agreement to acquire a 56% interest in US-based IXRF Systems for $1.5 million. IXRF specializes in microanalysis instruments, integrated X-ray fluorescence instruments and detectors.

Shimadzu Scientific Instruments and the University of Texas at Arlington announced in April the opening of the Shimadzu Center for Advanced Analytical Chemistry, which contains $6 million of chromatography, MS and spectroscopy equipment. Kevin Schug, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, was named the Shimadzu Distinguished Professor of Analytical Chemistry.

In April, Thermo Fisher Scientific opened a 1,800-sq.-ft. demonstration lab and training center in Seoul, South Korea. The company has nearly 100 employees at its two facilities in Seoul.

First-quarter Roche Applied Science sales fell 7.6%, down 4% at constant exchange rates (CER), to CHF 183 million ($199 million) due to funding constraints and competitive pressure to make up 8% of Roche Diagnostics sales. Custom Biotech sales rose 5%, but qPCR and Nucleic Acid Purification sales dropped 24%, and Genomic Analysis (microarrays and sequencing) sales fell 15%. In CER, sales in North America and Europe/Middle East/Africa fell 1% and 12% to 38% and 36% of Applied Science sales, respectively. Rest of World sales rose 5% to 26%.

First-quarter sales for Danaher Environmental’s (see IBO 4/30/12) existing water quality businesses grew in low single digits due to increased demand in municipal markets, primarily in North America, partially offset by lower demand in China. For Life Sciences and Diagnostics, sales from existing life sciences businesses were flat, with increased MS sales offset by lower sales of microscopy products. Sales of both product lines declined in Europe.

Dr. Thomas Scheper, professor and head of the Institute of Technical Chemistry at the Leibniz University of Hannover, was elected to Sartorius’s Board in April.

In April, Analytik Jena acquired the remaining 50% of its AJ Roboscreen subsidiary, which develops diagnostic kits, reagents, fine chemicals and consumables for the purification and detection of nucleic acids and proteins.

Life Technologies announced that William H. Longfield retired from its Board in April.

AMETEK named Robert R. Mandos, Jr., executive vice president and CFO, effective July 1. He currently serves as senior vice president and comptroller.