November 23, 2011 — Vidar Systems Corp. — a subsidiary of the Contex Group — announced it will be acquired by 3D Systems Corp. Fellow subsidiary Z Corp. will also be sold to 3D Systems; the total comes to $137 million in cash. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is expected to close promptly after those approvals are obtained. It is hoped the closing can occur by the end of 2011 or early in 2012.
"By joining 3D Systems, we expect to continue to deliver high quality medical imaging products and expand our core imaging business using 3D's medical technologies," said Vidar Systems' global president, Joseph LaPorta. "Our vision has always been to expand our core technology into areas that were not previously accessible to Vidar. Together with 3D's strong footprint into healthcare — medical models, surgical guides, hearing aides, dental applications and implantable devices — Vidar expects to develop applications and products that enhance our current offering as well as to move into more elaborate healthcare initiatives."
"We believe that the strong strategic fit between our businesses, combined with expanded capabilities in product development, channel coverage, manufacturing and marketing, could present sizeable cost and revenue synergies that together offer significant long-term customer benefits and shareholder value," commented Abe Reichental, president and CEO of 3D Systems.
Headquartered in Herndon, Va., Vidar has been in business for more than 26 years and is a global market leader in medical film digitizers, with more than 22,000 digitizers installed.
3D Systems is a provider of 3-D content-to-print solutions including 3-D printers, print materials and on-demand custom parts services for professionals and consumers alike.
For more information: www.vidar.com, www.3dsystems.com