Sterigenics International Buys Nelson Laboratories

Sterigenics International LLC, a provider of contract sterilization, gamma technologies and medical isotopes, and a portfolio company of Warburg Pincus and GTCR, has acquired Nelson Laboratories Inc., the largest U.S. provider of life-cycle microbiology testing services for the medical devices, pharmaceutical and tissue industries. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Nelson Labs employs 570 professionals, including more than 300 scientists and 60 registered and specialist microbiologists. With 85 labs running out of five corporate buildings in Salt Lake City, Utah, the company works with more than 3,000 client companies in 57 countries, providing more than 400 microbiological and analytical tests.

“This is a significant strategic acquisition to help build out Sterigenics’ lab testing and service capabilities on a global scale, enabling us to better serve our multinational customers,” said Michael Mulhern, CEO of Sterigenics International.  “We will continue to explore additional expansion opportunities for our lab services to meet our customers’ growing needs.”

All Nelson Labs operations will remain in Salt Lake City and be combined with Sterigenics’ existing microbiological and analytical testing and consultancy – SteriPro Labs. Moving forward, the combined entities will go to market under the Nelson Labs brand name and operate as a standalone business unit within Sterigenics International. Jeffery Nelson will serve as president of Nelson Labs and together, with the Sterigenics contract sterilization business, will create the largest fully integrated global sterilization and lab services firm in the world, according to Sterigenics.

“We are incredibly impressed with Nelson Labs’ leadership, culture, customer oriented service and commitment to quality,” said Mulhern. “We believe that the fit is perfect with Sterigenics and look forward to working together on our shared mission of improving global public health.”
 
“Sterigenics will be a great partner, and will provide the global access and ongoing investment necessary to ensure long-term growth of the lab services business,” said Nelson. “They are a global leader in contract sterilization and sterility assurance serving the same markets as Nelson Labs. This is an excellent cultural fit, and I’m excited for the opportunities this will bring for our teams and our customers throughout the world.”
 
PriceWaterhouseCoopers served as accounting advisors and Holland & Knight LLC provided legal counsel to Sterigenics International. D.A. Davidson & Co. served as financial advisors, Tanner LC served as accounting and tax advisors and Parsons, Behle & Latimer provided legal counsel to Nelson Labs.
 
Sterigenics International LLC provides outsourced contract sterilization services, gamma technologies and medical isotopes, and markets itself as the only vertically integrated sterilization company in the world. Operating out of 48 facilities in 13 countries across the Americas, Europe and Asia, Sterigenics provides contract sterilization and ionization services for the medical device, pharmaceutical, food safety, and high-performance materials industries. Sterigenics offers microbiological and analytical testing and consultancy to assist customers in developing and maintaining sterilization solutions in medical devices, tissue/implantable products, and pharmaceuticals and biologics fields. Affiliate Nordion positions Sterigenics as the world’s largest provider of Cobalt-60 used in the gamma sterilization process as well as medical isotopes used in the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases and cancers.

Warburg Pincus LLC is a global private equity firm focused on growth investing. The firm has more than $40 billion in assets under management. The firm’s active portfolio of more than 120 companies is highly diversified by stage, sector and geography. Founded in 1966, Warburg Pincus has raised 15 private equity funds, which have invested more than $55 billion in over 750 companies in more than 35 countries.
 
Founded in 1980, GTCR is a Chicago, Ill.-based private equity firm focused on investing in growth companies in the financial services and technology, healthcare, technology, media and telecommunications, and growth business services industries. Since its inception, GTCR has invested more than $12 billion in over 200 companies.

Established in 1985, Nelson Laboratories is a provider of microbiological testing and consulting services for medtech companies.