Thermo Fisher Scientific Purchases Sterilin for Single-Use Products

Thermo Fisher Scientific is taking over Sterilin, a provider of bioproduction disposables. The company’s revenue for 2010 was approximately $35 million. It serves the microbiology, life science, and clinical markets.

Sterilin’s single-use products are leveraged in sample collection, preservation, and processing. It offers a line of tissue culture plastics that complement Thermo Fisher’s line of plastic consumables. Headquartered in South Wales, U.K., Sterilin has approximately 270 employees. The business will be integrated into Thermo Fisher’s Laboratory Products and Services Segment.

“This acquisition broadens the range of innovative specialty laboratory products we can offer our customers,” says Marc N. Casper, president and CEO of Thermo Fisher Scientific. “It is also consistent with our strategy to leverage our global sales and support organization to give our customers across Europe, Asia-Pacific, and North America greater access to these products.”

Thermo Fisher Scientific’s last acquisition was in December 2010; it paid $2.1 billion for Dionex, which offers ion and liquid chromatography systems and consumables. The deal also expanded Thermo Fisher’s footprint in Asia Pacific and the environmental analysis market.

Also in December 2010, the company bought Lomb Scientific, based in Australia and New Zealand. It provides laboratory chemicals, consumables, and instruments. Thermo Fisher previously bought Biolab, another firm with operations in Australia/New Zealand, in April 2009 for A$175 million.

In addition, during the last year, Thermo Fisher acquired Massachusetts firm Ahura Scientific for $145 million, Finnish company Finnzymes, Danish company Proxeon, and Fermentas, which has operations in Canada and Lithuania, for $260 million.

In February 2011, Thermo Fisher Scientific reported that it was selling its Athena Diagnostics business to Quest Diagnostics for $740 million and its contract-testing operation, Lancaster Laboratories, to Eurofins Scientific for $200 million.