康宁公司收购爱思进生物科技有限公司

 

通过收购扩大康宁的生命科学产品组合，并拓展全球客户资源

康宁公司（纽约证交所代码： GLW ）2009 年9月16日宣布，康宁以大约 4 亿美元现金从 American Capital Ltd （纳斯达克代码： ACAS ）手中收购了爱思进生物科技有限公司（ Axygen BioScience, Inc. ）及其子公司的全部股票。

爱思进总部位于加州联合市，是一家领先制造企业和经销商，主要生产高质量的生命科学实验室塑料耗材、液体处理产品和桌面实验室设备，其运营机构遍布美国、法国、波兰和中国等地区。爱思进将被合并到康宁生命科学部。

康宁目前承诺通过扩展产品组合向客户提供全面的创新实验室研究产品，此次收购对这一目标构成了支持。爱思进的高品质塑料耗材产品组合（包括吸液管、吸嘴、高通量筛选产品等）和实验室设备（包括离心机、移液器和培养皿等）扩展并补充了康宁目前提供的一般实验室仪器、细胞培养和高通量筛选 / 化验产品。此外，由于爱思进在亚洲拥有两处生产设施，所以此次收购还加强了康宁在亚洲的影响力，并扩大了在亚洲地区的客户资源。

康宁公司总裁兼首席运营官 Peter F. Volanakis 表示：“爱思进的产品组合与成熟的分销网络将有力地加强康宁生命科学平台，对我们在这一领域的长期增长战略而言是极为重要的一环。”他补充称：“我们相信此次具有高度战略意义的收购所催生的协同作用将使我们的生命科学业务收入在 2011 年增至逾 5 亿美元。”

康宁生命科学部高级副总裁 Mark A. Beck 表示：“我们期待与爱思进的优秀管理团队并肩作战，他们的领导才能和洞察力使得一系列品牌以质量和创新而在世界范围内闻名遐迩。”

与爱思进其他重要人员一样，爱思进创始人 Hemant Gupta 也将留下来担任总裁和首席执行官。关于此次交易， Gupta 表示：“我们对于加入康宁感到十分兴奋。康宁在创新科技实验室产品的市场销售方面居于世界领先地位，我们希望能够为这一卓越组织的继续辉煌作出贡献。”

全球中端市场投资银行林肯国际银行担任康宁的金融顾问。

关于康宁公司

康宁公司 (www.corning.com ) 是特殊玻璃和陶瓷材料的全球领导厂商。凭借着 150 多年在材料科学和制程工艺领域的知识，康宁创造并生产出了众多关键组成部分，这些组成部分被用于高科技消费电子、移动排放控制、通信和生命科学领域。我们的产品包括用于 LCD 电视、电脑显示器和笔记本电脑的玻璃基板；用于移动排放控制系统的陶瓷载体和过滤器；用于电信网络的光纤、光缆、以及硬件和设备；用于药物开发的光学生物传感器；以及用于其它一些行业，例如半导体、航空航天、国防、天文学和计量学的先进的光学和特殊材料解决方案。

关于 American Capital
American Capital 是一家上市的私人股权投资公司，也是一家全球资产管理公司。 American Capital 直接或通过其资产管理业务发起、承销和管理中间市场私人股权、杠杆融资、房地产以及结构性产品方面的投资。 American Capital 成立于 1986 年，旗下管理着 110 亿美元（截止 2009 年 6 月 30 日 ）资本，并在美国、欧洲和亚洲拥有 10 家分支机构。请登陆 www.AmericanCapital.com 了解更多详情。

关于爱思进生物科技有限公司
爱思进拥有 1200 多名员工，为全球制药、生物科技、政府、院校、医疗以及工业研究等领域的客户提供服务。 2005 年以来，公司已经成功地将 50 余种产品实现商业化，包括 MAXYmum Recovery™ 系列产品，该系列产品通过使用专利覆层使塑料耗材侧壁上附着的液体量和蛋白质量降到最低。请登陆 www.Axygen.com 了解更多有关爱思进的信息。

http://www.corning.com/news_center/news_releases/2009/2009091601.aspx

Corning Incorporated Acquires Axygen BioScience, Inc.
 

Acquisition to expand Corning’s portfolio of life sciences products and global customer access 

CORNING, N.Y., September 16, 2009 – Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW) announced today that it has acquired all the shares of Axygen BioScience, Inc. and its subsidiaries from American Capital Ltd. (Nasdaq:ACAS) for approximately $400 million in cash.

Headquartered in Union City, Calif., Axygen is a leading manufacturer and distributor of high-quality life sciences plastic consumable labware, liquid handling products, and bench-top laboratory equipment with operations in the United States, France, Poland, and China. Axygen will be integrated into Corning’s Life Sciences segment.

The acquisition supports Corning’s ongoing commitment to supply its customers with a comprehensive and innovative line of laboratory research products by extending its broad array of products. Axygen’s product portfolio of high-quality plastic consumables (including pipettes, pipette tips, and high-throughput screening (HTS) products) and lab equipment (including centrifuges, pipette controllers, and incubators) expands upon and complements the general labware, cell culture, and HTS/Assay products offered today by Corning. In addition, the acquisition enhances Corning’s presence in Asia through Axygen’s two manufacturing locations and increases access to customers in the Asia region.

“Axygen’s product portfolio and established distribution network will significantly strengthen Corning’s life sciences platform and are critical components to our long-term growth strategy for this business,” said Peter F. Volanakis, Corning’s president and chief operating officer. “We believe this highly strategic acquisition offers synergies that will allow us to grow our life sciences business to more than $500 million in revenue by 2011,” he added.

“We are looking forward to working with Axygen’s talented management team, whose leadership and vision have resulted in a set of brands recognized for quality and innovation by customers around the world,” said Mark A. Beck, senior vice president, Corning Life Sciences.

Hemant Gupta, the founder of Axygen, will remain with the business, serving as president and chief executive officer, as will other key personnel of Axygen. Regarding this transaction, Gupta said, “We are very excited to be joining the Corning organization. Corning is a world leader in bringing innovative scientific labware products to market and we are looking forward to making major contributions to the continued success of this well-respected organization.”

Lincoln International, a global mid-market investment bank, acted as financial advisor to Corning.

Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” (within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995), which are based on current expectations and assumptions about Corning’s financial results and business operations, that involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include: the effect of global political, economic and business conditions; conditions in the financial and credit markets; currency fluctuations; tax rates; product demand and industry capacity; competition; reliance on a concentrated customer base; manufacturing efficiencies; cost reductions; availability of critical components and materials; new product commercialization; pricing fluctuations and changes in the mix of sales between premium and non-premium products; new plant start-up or restructuring costs; possible disruption in commercial activities due to terrorist activity, armed conflict, political instability or major health concerns; adequacy of insurance; equity company activities; acquisition and divestiture activities; the level of excess or obsolete inventory; the rate of technology change; the ability to enforce patents; product and components performance issues; stock price fluctuations; and adverse litigation or regulatory developments. These and other risk factors are detailed in Corning’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the day that they are made, and Corning undertakes no obligation to update them in light of new information or future events.

About Corning Incorporated
Corning Incorporated (www.corning.com) is the world leader in specialty glass and ceramics. Drawing on more than 150 years of materials science and process engineering knowledge, Corning creates and makes keystone components that enable high-technology systems for consumer electronics, mobile emissions control, telecommunications and life sciences. Our products include glass substrates for LCD televisions, computer monitors and laptops; ceramic substrates and filters for mobile emission control systems; optical fiber, cable, hardware & equipment for telecommunications networks; optical biosensors for drug discovery; and other advanced optics and specialty glass solutions for a number of industries including semiconductor, aerospace, defense, astronomy and metrology.

About American Capital
American Capital is a publicly traded private equity firm and global asset manager. American Capital, both directly and through its asset management business, originates, underwrites and manages investments in middle market private equity, leveraged finance, real estate and structured products. Founded in 1986, American Capital has $11 billion (as of June 30, 2009) in capital resources under management and 10 offices in the U.S., Europe and Asia. For further information, please refer to www.AmericanCapital.com.

About Axygen BioScience Inc.
Axygen employs over 1,200 associates serving pharmaceutical, biotech, government, academic, clinical and industrial research customers around the world. The company has successfully commercialized more than 50 new products since 2005, including its MAXYmum Recovery™ product line, which uses a proprietary coating to minimize attachment of fluids or proteins to the sidewalls of plastic consumables. More information about Axygen can be found at www.Axygen.com.

Media Relations Contact:
Daniel F. Collins
(607) 974-4197
collinsdf@corning.com 

Investor Relations Contact:
Kenneth C. Sofio
(607) 974-7705
sofiokc@corning.com