Around The Industry
Around The Industry
Celebrate the industry. Catch up with the latest awards and appointments, market moves and noteworthy items.
To submit items for publication contact JDT Unbound at jdt@nadl.org.
Jordan Receives FDLA Legislator of the Year Award
Florida State Representative Stan Jordan (R-Jacksonville) recently received the FDLA 2006 Legislator of the Year Award at Harmony Dental in Jacksonville, Fla.
FDLA presented Jordan with the 2006 Legislator of the Year Award in recognition of his steadfast leadership, high regard for sound public policy, perseverance under pressure and passion for the welfare of all citizens.
“Rep. Jordan’s commitment to patient awareness and his regard for the material safety of dental devices received by Florida’s citizens is exemplary. The Florida Dental Laboratory Association was proud to recognize his efforts that seek to benefit the dental patient,” said FDLA President Jim Gagliano, CDT.
During the 2006 Florida legislative session, Jordan sponsored groundbreaking legislation that addressed the issue of dental patients right to know where their dental restorations are made and the materials that are used to create their restoration.
Heraeus Kulzer Dental Laboratory Products Now Available Through Three of Canada’s Leading Distributors
Heraeus Kulzer Inc., recently announced its plan to transition from a customer-direct to a distributor-based sales model in Canada. Specifically, Heraeus Kulzer’s broad assortment of dental laboratory products will be available in Canada through Henry Schein, Ash Arcona, Excel Dental Laboratory Sources and Westan Dental Products Group as of July 2006.
According to Heraeus Kulzer President Chris Holden, “The Canadian market has been one of our strongest growth areas in recent years. Selling our products through distributors is part of a healthy evolution.”
Henry Schein Acquires Three Darby Businesses
Henry Schein, Inc., announced that it will acquire the assets of Island Dental Co., Inc., Darby Medical Supply Co. and Darby Dental Laboratory Supply Co., Inc. from privately-held Darby Group Companies.
Together these three businesses had 2005 sales of approximately $219 million. Henry Schein expects these transactions to close during the third quarter of 2006 and anticipates that upon integration it will realize operational efficiencies from the acquisition. The company indicated that the purchase price was approximately $51.5 million to be paid in cash. Darby Dental Supply will continue to be owned and operated by Darby Group Company. The decision to sell the three divisions was made in an effort to focus company resources on growing Darby Dental Supply to become the world’s leading dental supply telesales group.
Healthpoint Capital to Buy DTI
Dental Technologies Inc., based in Vancouver, announced New York-based Healthpoint Capital will purchase DTI for $42.7 million. DTI CEO Paolo Kalaw said he doesn’t expect there to be any management changes in the organization.
JDT: What kind of impact is this going to have on DTI's laboratories?
Kalaw: I believe the impact will be minimal, if any. A few months ago, we received an unsolicited call from Healthpoint Capital inquiring if we were interested in selling DTI. I asked them why they called us, and they responded that they had spent $300,000 on research on the dental laboratory industry and DTI came out as the leading laboratory platform hence the interest. There are no plans to change the way we operate our laboratories. The intention is to increase the rate of expansion of the DTI network of laboratories by adding more locations and initiating internal research and development.
JDT: How will this impact the industry?
Kalaw: Over the last few months, there has been an incredible amount of interest in the dental laboratory industry from what I would call outside investors - investment funds, non-dental companies, etc. DTI was getting calls from investment funds every other week. The world has woken up to the potential of the laboratory industry. It is an exciting time as I expect more consolidation and ownership changes. This will likely lead to larger laboratories/laboratory groups which in turn will encourage the digital revolution. Change is in the air.
Market Moves
BioLok International Inc., of Deerfield Beach, Fla., and Shofu Inc. of Japan announced that they have entered into an international distribution agreement to market the BioLok Precision Dental Implant System and its related products in Japan, subject to the finalization and successful registration of the product line in Japan under their regulations of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law and Medical Act.
Zimmer Holdings, Inc., has opened its Zimmer Institute professional training facility. This new Zimmer Institute will be a specialized center dedicated to helping clinicians further the knowledge, skills, and confidence essential for the practice of contemporary implant dentistry.
D4D Technologies LLC announced it has entered into agreements with Ivoclar Vivadent and 3M for the non-exclusive supply of consumable materials for its E4D CAD/CAM system. The E4D CAD/CAM system will use computer aided, digital technology to create convenient, quality dental restorations. D4D will continue to be responsible for the development and production of the E4D dentist and laboratory systems. As previously announced, Henry Schein will be the exclusive distributor of the systems. As part of the agreements, Henry Schein, Ivoclar Vivadent, and 3M have each invested in D4D Technologies LLC as a statement of their belief in the importance of CAD/CAM systems as an important tool in dentistry.
Union Dental Holdings, Inc., a provider of multi-state dental services for union members, announced it will open its dental laboratory for business in the last quarter of 2006. Dr. George Green, president and CEO of Union Dental, said the cost to outsource dental prosthetics far exceeds what UDHI can produce restorations for in-house. UDHI’s outsource costs are nearly $250,000 annually. The company thinks it can reduce those costs by 40 percent. Many of UDHI’s network dentists have expressed interest in using the dental laboratory when it is operational.
Henry Schein, Inc., announced an exclusive distribution agreement with Imaging Sciences International, Inc., a market leader in the development and manufacturing of advanced dental radiography products and 3-D diagnostic imaging technology. The agreement will expand Henry Schein's diagnostic imaging technology offerings within the United States and Canada. Imaging Sciences reported sales of $25 million in 2005 in the United States and Canada.
Awards and Appointments
Bret W. Wise, president and COO of DENTSPLY International in York, Pa., and Scott P. Anderson, vice president for dental sales for Patterson Dental with corporate offices located in St. Paul, Minn., recently joined the Dental Trade Alliance Board of Directors. DTA is the trade association for North American dental companies.
Horace “Wally” Evans II, Michael Beckman, Arthur Stewart and Daniel Donohue recently joined DentalEZÆ Group as territory sales representatives - equipment. Also, DentalEZÆ Group is pleased to announce the promotion of Chuck Seeger to Southeastern regional manager, Alyson Bell as a StarDentalÆ territory sales representative for the Southern California area and Paul Klassen as equipment sales representative.
Sirona Dental Systems is pleased to introduce Lawrence Schmidt, CDT, as their new northwest-territory manager for CAD/CAM laboratory applications.
Darby Group Companies, Inc., recently promoted Garfield Thomas to director of financial systems.
DentalEZÆ Group recently named Ron Chaverin as a territory combination sales representative.
Noteworthy
Minot Dental Laboratory is celebrating 100 years in business this year. The laboratory located in Minot, N.D., has 20 employees ad has plans to double that number in the future.
Throughout the months of March, April and May the Ivoclar Vivadent education team was busy with training technicians in e.max press and CAD/CAM technology at the Amherst, N.Y., education center and at LVI.
Sirona Dental Systems announced that the 600th inLab system was recently installed in North America.
In April, Dentsply Prosthetics held its first Equipment Service Seminar at the company's production facility in Yucaipa, California. At this free seminar, attendees spent two days learning how to install service parts and to provide preventative maintenance on their primary pieces of laboratory equipment.
Oral Health America’s 2006 Gala and Benefit attracted more attendees and raised more money than any event in the organization’s history. For 16 years, Oral Health America has ushered in the Chicago Midwinter dental meeting with its annual gala. More than 800 guests representing every aspect of the dental profession filled the Grand Ballroom at Navy Pier.
Zimmer Dental Inc., was the major grant fund provider for the 2006 Global Educational Symposium highlighting scientific advancements in implant dentistry. This educational symposium took place in Las Croabas, Puerto Rico. The symposium included an impressive number of international attendees and faculty representing more than 30 countries - the largest global attendance in Zimmer Dental’s history. More than 18 insightful lectures and nine preconference workshops were held. Amongst the attendees were deans and key faculty representatives from over 24 universities representing dental education in the United States and Latin America.
“Titanium dental implants coated with proteins that induce bone formation may be a key advancement in treating tooth loss due to gum disease,” according to researchers at the Medical College of Georgia (MCG). According to the college’s reports, “researchers applied a protein onto dental implants that directs endogenous stem cells to become bone-forming cells. The result was a nearly complete regeneration of lost tissue, says Dr. Ulf Wikesjˆ, a professor of periodontics in MCG's School of Dentistry. Dr. Wikesjˆ, who came to MCG this year from Temple University in Philadelphia, is researching wound-healing and tissue regeneration with a $1.4 million grant from Nobel Biocare, a leading manufacturer of dental implants and equipment.”
Materialise, a Belgium dental company, is suing Nobel Biocare for patent infringement in connection to a dental drill guide for use in implant treatment. The case is making its way through the German court system.
