We are a leading provider of scientific instruments, consumables and services
to the pharmaceutical, biomedical, environmental testing, chemical and general
industrial markets. We design, manufacture, market and service products and systems
within three businesses, each of which is its own reporting segment:
• Life and Analytical Sciences. We are a leading provider of drug discovery,
genetic screening, and environmental and chemical analysis tools, including
instruments, reagents, consumables and services.
• Optoelectronics. We provide a broad range of digital imaging, sensor and
specialty lighting components used in the biomedical, consumer products and
other specialty end markets.
• Fluid Sciences. We provide critical fluid control and containment systems
for highly demanding environments such as turbine engines and semiconductor
fabrication facilities.
We are a Massachusetts corporation, founded in 1947. Our headquarters are in
Wellesley, Massachusetts, and we market our products, services and systems in
more than 125 countries.
All of our businesses market their products and services through their own
specialized sales forces. We had approximately 2,600 internally employed sales
and service representatives operating in approximately 40 countries and marketing
products and services in approximately 125 countries. In geographic regions
where we do not have a sales and service presence, we utilize distributors to
sell our products.
Competition
Because of the wide range of our products and services, we face many different
types of competition and competitors. This affects our ability to sell our products
and services and the prices at which these products and services are sold. Our
competitors range from large foreign and domestic organizations that produce
a comprehensive array of goods and services and that may have greater financial
and other resources than we do, to small firms producing a limited number of
goods or services for specialized market segments.
In our Life and Analytical Sciences reporting segment, we compete on the basis
of service level, price, technological innovation, product differentiation,
product availability and quality and reliability. Competitors range from multinational
organizations with a wide range of products to specialized firms that in some
cases have well-established market niches. We expect the proportion of large
competitors in this reporting segment to increase through the continued consolidation
of competitors.
No single competitor competes directly with our Optoelectronics reporting segment
across its full product range. However, we do compete with specialized manufacturing
companies in the manufacturing and sale of specialty flashtubes and ultraspecialty
lighting sources, photodetectors and photodiodes and switched power supplies.
Competition is based on price, technological innovation, operational efficiency,
and product reliability and quality.
Competition in our Fluid Sciences reporting segment is typically based on product
performance and innovation, quality, service and price. In a few markets, competitors
are large, diversified engineering and manufacturing concerns. Most of our competitors,
however, are small specialized manufacturing companies offering limited product
lines for narrow market segments. Competition for lubricant testing services
is primarily from one large non-profit institute and some customer-owned laboratories,
and is mainly based on quality and price.
1.6% 
