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Beckman Coulter

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Beckman Coulter
FormerlyNational Technical Laboratories
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryScientific instruments, Medical Devices
FoundedPasadena, California 1935; 90 years ago (1935)
FounderArnold O. Beckman
Headquarters
Brea, California
,
United States
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Julie Sawyer Montgomery, President Diagnostics, Suzanne Foster, President Life Sciences
ProductsBiomek platforms, Synchron/AU analyzers, IRIS Immunochemistry system, VERIS, DxI immunoassay instruments, DxC chemistry instruments, DxH hematology instruments, Hemoccult, CEQ 2000 DNA Analysis System, Flow cytometers, Ultracentrifuge, Laboratory centrifuge
RevenueIncreaseUS$3.66B (FY 2010)[1]
IncreaseUS$405M (FY 2010)[1]
IncreaseUS$231M (FY 2010)[1]
Total assetsIncreaseUS$4.88B (FY 2010)[2]
Total equityIncreaseUS$2.13B (FY 2010)[2]
Number of employees
12,000 (Worldwide)
ParentDanaher Corporation
Website
A large laboratory centrifuge from Beckman Coulter Life Sciences

Beckman Coulter, Inc. is an American company that develops, manufactures, and markets products relevant to biomedical testing. It has been a subsidiary of Danaher Corporation since 2011. It operates in the industries of diagnostics under the brand name Beckman Coulter and life sciences under the brand name Beckman Coulter Life Sciences.[3] The company was established in 1935 as National Technical Laboratories, and has become an international company through growth and acquisitions of other life sciences organizations.

The company employs over 12,000 people, with $5.8 billion in annual sales by 2017. It is currently headquartered in Brea, California. Beckman Coulter was acquired by Danaher Corporation in 2011.

History

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The company was founded by Caltech professor Arnold O. Beckman in 1935 as National Technical Laboratories to commercialize a pH meter that he had invented.

In the 1940s, the name was changed the name to Arnold O. Beckman, Inc. to sell oxygen analyzers, the Helipot precision potentiometer, and spectrophotometers.[citation needed] The company name changed to Beckman Instruments, Inc. before going public in 1952.[3]

In the 1950s, Beckman Instruments developed the EASE series of analog computers,[4][5] two of which were used by NASA in the 1960s for real-time simulation during the development of the Apollo Guidance Computer.[6]

In 1954, Beckman Instruments acquired ultracentrifuge maker Spinco (Specialized Instruments Corp.). The Spinco division went on to design and manufacture a broad range of laboratory centrifuges.[7]

In 1961, Beckman acquired Offner Electronics, a company founded by inventor Franklin F. Offner.

In 1982, the company merged into SmithKline to form SmithKline Beckman, with Arnold Beckman as vice chairman, but regained its independence in 1989 after SmithKline merged with Beecham Group to form SmithKline Beecham (now part of GlaxoSmithKline).

In 1995, the company acquired Hybritech, Inc. from Eli Lilly.

In 1996, the company acquired the Sanofi portion of Sanofi Pasteur Diagnostics.

In 1998, the company acquired Coulter Corporation, a company founded by Wallace H. Coulter, the inventor of the Coulter counter. The merged company became Beckman Coulter.

By 2003, the company has more than 200,000 systems operating in laboratories around the world.[8]

In 2005, the company acquired Diagnostic Systems Laboratories (DSL) based in Webster, Texas.

In 2006, the company acquired Lumigen and Agencourt Bioscience.

In 2007, the company acquired the Flow Cytometry Business Group of Dako North America, Inc.

In 2009, the company acquired Lab-based Diagnostics business of Olympus Corporation Japan. That same year, the company moved its world headquarters from Fullerton, California to the newly renovated facility in Brea.[9]

In February 2011, Danaher announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement with Beckman Coulter.[10] On June 30, 2011, Danaher finalized the acquisition of Beckman Coulter.[11]

On September 12, 2012, Danaher acquired Iris Diagnostics and its parent company IRIS International, Inc. as leader in Urinalysis Diagnostic to further boost Danaher's Diagnostic business within Beckman Coulter.[12] Subsequently, the business was divided into two operating companies within Danaher; Beckman Coulter focused on diagnostics segments and Beckman Coulter Life Sciences focused on biomedical research and development segments.[3]

On February 1, 2015, the company finalized the acquisition of MicroScan from Siemens Healthcare.[13]

On January 3, 2019, Beckman Coulter Life Sciences announced the acquisition of Labcyte, Inc., a privately held manufacturer of acoustic liquid handlers.[citation needed]

On May 2, 2019, Beckman Coulter Life Sciences finalized their acquisition of EDC Biosciences, a privately held manufacturer of acoustic liquid handlers.[14]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Beckman Coulter (BEC) annual SEC income statement filing via Wikinvest.
  2. ^ a b Beckman Coulter (BEC) annual SEC balance sheet filing via Wikinvest.
  3. ^ a b c "History of Beckman Coulter". Beckman.com. Danaher. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
  4. ^ "Beckmann EASE analog computer". UB.FNWI.UVA.nl. Computer Museum at University of Amsterdam.
  5. ^ "Beckmann EASE Computer". Digital.ScienceHistory.org. Science History Institute Museum & Library.
  6. ^ "Madeline Sullivan: Hybrid Simulation of the Apollo Guidance and Navigation System" (PDF). MIT. 1965.
  7. ^ Thackray, Arnold; Myers, Minor Jr. (2000). Arnold O. Beckman: One Hundred Years of Excellence. Philadelphia: Chemical Heritage Foundation. ISBN 978-0-941901-23-9.
  8. ^ "Beckman Coulter, Inc". SEC.gov. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  9. ^ Mueller, Mark (July 5, 2010). "Beckman Puts Former HQ Site up for Sale". Orange County Business Journal. 33 (27): 4.
  10. ^ "Danaher to Acquire Beckman Coulter, Inc. for $83.50 per share or $6.8 Billion". Danaher. Archived from the original on February 11, 2011.
  11. ^ "Press Release | Investors | Danaher". Phx.Corporate-Ir.net (Press release). Archived from the original on February 3, 2016.
  12. ^ "Danaher buys Iris to boost diagnostics business". Reuters. September 17, 2012.
  13. ^ "MDDI Online". MDDI Online.
  14. ^ "Agreement of Merger". BusinessSearch.SOS.CA.gov. Secretary of State of California. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
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