Big Growth

Interview by Greg Freiherr

Bigger is better. It provides the market share and technology base needed to achieve what would otherwise be impossible. There are few examples that illustrate this principle better than the 1997 megamerger between Beckman Instruments Inc. (Fullerton, CA) and Coulter Corp. (Miami).

The union between these two companies laid the groundwork for integrating technologies to address the needs of clinical laboratories. With other acquisitions, including Hybritech Inc. (San Diego) in January 1996 and the rights to the Access immunoassay system from Sanofi Diagnostics Pasteur (Chaska, MN) in April 1997, Beckman Coulter has forged one of the broadest product lines in the in vitro diagnostics (IVD) industry. Together, these acquisitions have transformed the company into the market leader in clinical chemistry and hematology as well as a major provider of immunoassay systems.