Jennifer Whitney04.02.08
3M Canada, a wholly-owned subsidiary of 3M, announced today it has acquired Les Entreprises Solumed Inc., a Quebec-based developer and marketer of leading-edge medical products designed to prevent infections in operating rooms and hospitals. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Solumed brings a chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) and alcohol-based line of products to 3Ms already robust core offering for infection prevention. The addition of Solumed positions 3M for growth in the fast-growing segment of intravenous (IV) site care and in preoperative care and hand hygiene, where CHG-based products are gaining momentum, said Chuck Kummeth, vice president and general manager, 3M Medical Division.
Solumeds products such as antiseptic wipes and swabsticks, along with surgical scrub brush-sponges and antiseptic gels, complement 3Ms existing line of trusted health care products intended to improve patient skin health and help reduce the risk of infection in patients and health care workers. These products from 3M provide cost-effective solutions and are supported by educational services, professional and technical support, as well as ongoing research and development.
The acquisition of Solumed will enhance our local presence, expand our business and help us to better address our customers emerging needs in these markets, said Jim McSheffrey, president and general manager, 3M Canada.
Solumed employs approximately 25 people and will remain in Quebec as a separate subsidiary of 3M Canada. Complementary acquisitions such as this support 3Ms core business in infection prevention.