10.13.10
Royal Philips Electronics has agreed to acquire Discus Holdings,a privately held manufacturer of professional tooth whitening products including Zoom!, BriteSmile, and NiteWhite. Through this acquisition Philips expands its oral healthcare portfolio, adding to Philips’ Sonicare electric toothbrush business.
Upon closing of the transaction, pending regulatory approvals and expected in the fourth quarter of 2010, Discus will become part of Philips’ Consumer Lifestyle sector’s Health and Wellness business.
Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.
“Oral healthcare is an important part of our strategy to enhance consumer health and well-being, and an important growth driver of our portfolio. Discus’ professional tooth whitening business provides a strong foundation for growth in the cosmetic dentistry space and will strengthen Philips’ position as a leading oral healthcare brand amongst dental professionals and consumers,” said Philips Consumer Lifestyle chief executive officer Pieter Nota.“Moreover, Discus’ oral care products complement our existing Sonicare portfolio, further building our relationship with dental professionals.”
Discus’ Zoom and BriteSmile are two widely recognized light-activated whitening systems used by dental professionals worldwide, as well as a range of take-home whiteners that are sold under dental supervision. In addition, Discus’ oral care portfolio provides dental professionals and their patients a wide range of treatment options for sensitivity relief, caries prevention, gingivitis, breath management, oral ulcer relief and other dental care.
“Over two decades, Discus built a global dental products company while introducing some of the most recognized brands in dentistry. Millions of consumers have benefited from the whiter, brighter smiles created by our products,” said Steve Semmelmayer, chief executive officer of Discus Holdings, Inc. “Merging with Philips will bring significant growth opportunities for Discus products with unprecedented reach and scope. We are excited about becoming part of the Philips global organization,” said Dr. William Dorfman, Discus’ founder.
Founded in California in 1989 and headquartered in Los Angeles, Discusemploys approximately 400 people and has a distribution presence in more than 100 countries. Its annual sales of were approximately $140 million of which approximately one-third is generated outside of North America.