Lancaster Laboratories under new ownership; Fisher Scientific International brings more than 100 years of expertise

Dr. Wilson Hershey, president, discusses ownership transition with Michael Ivers, group president of Fisher BioPharma Services. Lancaster Laboratories now has a new owner. On August 5, Fisher Scientific International Inc. purchased the company from its previous owner, private equity investment firm Goldner Hawn Johnson & Morrison. With this change, Lancaster Labs is joining a publicly held company that’s been a world leader in serving science for more than 100 years. In 2005, Fisher expects to have revenues of more than $5.5 billion. Clients may already be doing business with Fisher Scientific in other capacities. It has a broad range of outsourcing services for the pharmaceutical industry, including contract manufacturing and pharmaceutical packaging for clinical trials. Additionally, the company is a leading provider of scientific instruments and laboratory equipment to researchers and clinicians around the world. Recently, Fisher has expanded several of its existing clinical-services facilities and has completed a number of acquisitions, including McKesson BioServices (renamed Fisher BioServices) to expand and enhance its outsourcing services for pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers. According to Dr. Wilson Hershey, Lancaster Labs’ president, this acquisition is the culmination of a long relationship with Fisher that included a partnership with Fisher Clinical Services in Allentown. The sale brings together two companies with premier reputations in pharmaceutical services: Fisher Clinical Services in clinical packaging and Lancaster Labs in analytical chemistry and microbiology. “Fisher’s goal is to build the world’s greatest resource for products and services for the scientist and clinician, and our laboratory services expand and enhance Fisher’s suite of outsourced pharmaceutical services,” says Hershey. “We’re delighted with our new owners and pleased to be part of that future. We know they share our culture of quality and service excellence and are just as committed to meeting client requirements as we are.” Going forward, Lancaster Labs will continue to provide analytical services, retaining its name and company headquarters in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. No substantive changes in management or work-force are expected, and the transition to new ownership has been totally transparent to clients.