Ecolab grows healthcare business with OR Solutions buy
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Ecolab, an infection prevention specialist, is to expand its healthcare business by acquiring surgical fluid warming and cooling company OR Solutions for $260m. The deal grows Ecolab’s portfolio of products used to improve hygiene in healthcare settings with OR Solutions’ systems for maintaining the proper temperature of patient fluids during surgery. According to Ecolab, “numerous studies have shown that using warm fluids during surgery is effective in helping prevent infections”. Privately-held OR Solutions (Chantilly, Virginia) makes around $55m in annual sales, says Ecolab. St Paul, Minnesota-based Ecolab’s current healthcare offering includes instrument reprocessing technology, surgical equipment drapes and surgical room cleaning products. Ecolab, which also specialises in cleaning, sanitising and food safety, said it expects the transaction to be accretive to its 2011 earnings.