Sybron Dental Specialties, Inc. has announced that its Kerr subsidiary acquired the operating assets of Surgical Acuity, the leading manufacturer of telescope and fiber-optic lighting systems for the dental industry. The acquisition is expected to add between $10 to $15 million of sales revenue to Kerr's operations. The purchase of the company will be financed through Sybron Dental Specialties' existing credit facilities, and the Company expects the acquisition to be accretive within the first year of operations.
Surgical Acuity's telescope and lighting systems, marketed under the Orascoptic Research brand, provide the magnification and illumination needed in performing many dental procedures, and are frequently used by specialists in endondontics, cosmetic dentistry, orthodontics, periodontics, and prosthetic dentistry.
Sybron Dental Specialties intends to retain the management and staff of Surgical Acuity, which includes a sales force of approximately 17 people. The Middleton, Wisc., facility will continue to manufacture the telescope and lighting systems, and serve as headquarters for the business.
"We are very pleased to have completed this acquisition, which we think has significant growth opportunities for Sybron and is consistent with our strategy of growing our business internally and through acquisitions," said Floyd W. Pickrell, Jr., chief executive officer of Sybron Dental Specialties. "The use of telescope and lighting systems is quickly becoming the standard of care in the dental industry and is now utilized as part of the training at most dental schools. These are high gross margin products that can yield a strong return for the Company as we increase sales. We believe that we can use our strong domestic presence in the dental community, including the orthodontic and endodontic specialties, to leverage Surgical Acuity's sales. In addition, we also believe there is a largely untapped market for these telescope and lighting systems in international markets.
"We are excited to join forces with one of the premier companies in the dental industry and we look forward to leveraging their extensive sales resources to continuing growing the market for our products," said Brian Wilt, general manager of Surgical Acuity. "In addition to the general dental market, we also sell our products to dental hygienists, medical practitioners and doctors of veterinary medicine. These fields represent exciting growth opportunities and will be a continuing focus for our existing sales force."
