Inkjet & Digital Printing
Zebra Technologies Acquires LaserBand
Monday 16. July 2012 - Acquisition enhances Zebra's solutions portfolio in patient safety and regulatory compliance
Zebra Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: ZBRA) today announced that it has acquired LaserBand LLC, a leading provider of patient identification wristbands and related products which are used more than 200 million times per year by thousands of hospitals around the world. This acquisition strengthens Zebra’s leadership position in serving the healthcare industry. For 2011, LaserBand had sales of $24 million. The transaction is expected to be immediately accretive to Zebra’s earnings. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
“With the increasing focus on improving patient safety and hospital workflow, Zebra’s innovative products and solutions enable healthcare organizations to more easily track people, assets and information,” said Anders Gustafsson, CEO of Zebra. “As a leader in patient identification, LaserBand is an excellent strategic fit as we expand our dedicated healthcare offerings. We are delighted to welcome this talented team to the Zebra family.”
The transaction provides Zebra a solid platform to accelerate its growth in healthcare. It extends Zebra’s supplies portfolio with patented, proprietary patient safety-related products, bolsters the company’s patent portfolio and offers greater access to hospitals and other healthcare organizations. LaserBand’s strong and capable sales organization now has a broader range of products to sell, and Zebra’s global presence will provide new opportunities to market LaserBand products in regions outside of North America.
From an industry perspective, regulations continue to evolve, and hospitals are in various stages of adopting the electronic healthcare record (EHR) protocol. Barcoding and wristband technology are integral components of EHR. Zebra strives to stay ahead of requirements to ensure that hospitals and other health care customers have the broadest array of technology choices to help them reach their objectives in an efficient and cost-effective manner.