For the first time in its history, Leica Microsystems' annual sales volume for 2008 exceeded the billion US dollar mark, reports the international high-tech microscope and scientific instrument manufacturer and distributor, headquartered in Wetzlar.
“Over the last two years, we have seen a dramatic increase in the demand for our products throughout the world. In most of the markets in which we operate – including biomedical research, clinical applications, industry, microsurgery, and histopathology – we have achieved double-digit organic growth rates. Moreover, we have substantially expanded our product breadth through a number of strategic company acquisitions,” comments Dr. David Martyr, President of Leica Microsystems.
Numerous company acquisitions expand product range and benefit customers
Leica Microsystems was purchased by Washington D.C.-based Danaher Corporation (NYSE: DHR) in the summer of 2005. Since that time, Leica Microsystems has acquired and integrated eight companies in Australia, Europe, the US, and Asia. With these acquisitions, Leica Microsystems has significantly broadened its product offering and now provides one of the most comprehensive ranges of microscopy and histopathology products on the market. Leica Microsystems’ histology offering now includes consumables for use with its instruments. This allows histology customers to obtain all needed products from a single source. “I’m pleased to say that we’ve not only expanded our product portfolio through strategic acquisitions, but we have also gained significant market share as a result of innovation within our existing segments,” says Martyr.
Innovative strength drives organic growth
An important pillar of the success of Leica Microsystems, according to Martyr, is its innovative strength. In 2008 alone, the Life Science, Biosystems, Industry and Surgical Divisions launched over 50 new, and in some cases, breakthrough products. As a result of its recent product launches, Leica Microsystems is now at the cutting edge of technology. Examples of innovation in life science include the super high-resolution STED technology that visualizes interactions in cellular structures of only a few nanometers and the Leica TCS LSI microscope system that enables bioscientists to perform single cell studies and research on entire organisms using just one instrument. Another recent innovation, FusionOpticsTM, reveals high-quality 3D images simultaneously in high resolution and high depth of field, which benefits the intricate work of life scientists and industrial quality control specialists alike.
Due in part to company acquisitions, but also to accelerated recruiting initiatives in certain countries, the number of Leica Microsystems employees has risen to more than 4,000. The number of facilities has also increased to eleven with traditional locations such as Wetzlar, Vienna, and Singapore, and new ones in Melbourne, the US, and more.
Leica Microsystems is owner of the Leica brand
Leica Microsystems owns the rights to the Leica name and the Leica brand and controls its use through licensing agreements. Leica Microsystems, Leica Geosystems, and Leica Camera are financially, legally, and operatively independent companies, operate in different markets, and belong to different owners.