Wilson Greatbatch Technologies Sales Rise 65% in Third Quarter and 44% for First Nine Months

Company Reports Record Quarterly Sales and Earnings


CLARENCE, N.Y., Oct. 25, 2001 (PRIMEZONE) -- Wilson Greatbatch Technologies, Inc. ("WGT") (NYSE:GB), a leading developer and manufacturer of power sources and components used in pacemakers and other implantable medical devices and specialty batteries for non-medical applications, today reported record sales and earnings for the third quarter and first nine months of 2001.

Consolidated revenues for the third quarter ended September 28, 2001, increased 65% to $38.3 million from $23.3 million for the same period last year. For the 2001 third quarter, medical technology sales rose 66% and commercial power sources revenues increased 60%. Excluding the effect of the June 2001 acquisition of Greatbatch-Sierra, Inc. ("Greatbatch-Sierra") and the August 2000 acquisition of Battery Engineering, Inc. ("BEI"), consolidated revenues increased 40% in the 2001 third quarter over the similar period in 2000. Consolidated nine-month 2001 revenues increased 44% to $100.9 million from nine-month 2000 revenues of $69.8 million.

For the 2001 third quarter, Wilson Greatbatch Technologies reported net income, which is a record for any quarter, of $3.3 million or $0.16 per diluted share on 20.4 million weighted average shares outstanding, compared to a 2000 third quarter net loss of ($0.9) million or ($0.07) per diluted share on 13.0 million weighted average shares outstanding. For the 2001 third quarter, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization increased by 81% to $10.3 million from $5.7 million in the third quarter of 2000. Income from continuing operations for the first nine months of 2001 was $8.9 million, excluding a 2001 first quarter extraordinary loss of $3.0 million, net of tax, on the retirement of debt, compared with a loss of ($1.6) million for the comparable period of 2000. Nine-month 2001 diluted earnings per share, excluding the first quarter 2001 extraordinary loss on the retirement of debt, were $0.45.

"The 2001 third quarter was a very strong one for Wilson Greatbatch Technologies with record revenues and earnings and our financial results again exceeding expectations," said Edward F. Voboril, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Top line growth was driven by increased customer demand in all the markets we serve and by the BEI and Greatbatch-Sierra acquisitions. This quarter's bottom line benefited from a 65% increase in consolidated sales and a $2.7 million decrease in interest expense from last year. Over the past several quarters we have continued to strengthen Wilson Greatbatch Technologies' solid financial performance through debt reduction, strong internal growth and two key acquisitions that have broadened our product line and significantly expanded our platform for future growth."

Voboril continued, "Our growth in the medical technology segment is coming from wider use of cardiac rhythm management devices and continued market acceptance of our capacitor product for defibrillators. We will see continued growth in these markets, as well as potential future growth from further advances in medical treatments using implantable devices such as the new implantable artificial heart which uses external and internal power sources developed and manufactured by Wilson Greatbatch Technologies. Our commercial power sources segment has benefited from the BEI acquisition and a recovery in the oil and gas exploration market."

Voboril also commented on the recently-completed Greatbatch-Sierra acquisition, "The integration of the Greatbatch-Sierra acquisition into our medical technology segment's components group is well underway and we continue to see its business having excellent growth potential. As a leading developer and manufacturer of electromagnetic interference filters ("EMI") and capacitors for implantable medical devices, Greatbatch-Sierra is well positioned to benefit from greater demand for EMI protection, as it is currently used in only about 25% of all implantable medical devices. We anticipate that the majority of implantable medical devices will have this feature in the foreseeable future."

During the 2001 third quarter, the Company completed an additional stock offering of 7.8 million shares comprised of 5.8 million shares sold by existing shareholders and 2.0 million newly issued primary shares. The Company received $43.6 million in net proceeds to be used for general corporate purposes including acquisitions and debt reduction.

On October 2, 2001, the Company announced it would build a new dedicated 12,300 square foot research and development center at its Clarence headquarters that is scheduled for completion in 2002. Voboril commented on the Company's decision, "Our ability to use technology to develop enhanced power sources has been instrumental to our successful growth. By expanding our R&D capabilities and capacity, we are better positioned to develop the power sources for a wide range of new medical devices that are expected to be introduced during the next several years. These potential new applications include devices that can be used to treat congestive heart failure, implantable drug injection devices and neurostimulators that could be used to treat depression."

Voboril concluded, "2001 is proving to be an excellent year for Wilson Greatbatch Technologies, and we have thus far been able to weather this year's difficult economic climate without a major negative impact on our business. Overall, we remain very optimistic about Wilson Greatbatch Technologies' future prospects based on strong demand in the markets we serve and the strength and value of our proprietary technology and intellectual property portfolio. We remain comfortable with the current analysts' estimates of revenues and earnings per share for our fiscal year 2001."

Wilson Greatbatch Technologies, Inc., with operations in New York, Maryland, Massachusetts and Nevada, is a leading developer and manufacturer of power sources and components used in pacemakers and other implantable medical devices and specialty batteries for non-medical applications. Additional information about Wilson Greatbatch Technologies, Inc. is available at http://www.greatbatch.com.

The management of Wilson Greatbatch Technologies, Inc. will discuss third quarter fiscal 2001 financial results in a conference call scheduled for Thursday, October 25, 2001 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Investors will have the opportunity to listen to the Conference Call over the Internet at http://www.vcall.com/NASApp/VCall/EventPage?ID=78586. To listen to the live call via the Internet, please go to the Website at least fifteen minutes early to register, download, and install any necessary audio software. For those who cannot listen to the live broadcast, a replay will be available two hours after the call and will remain available until the next conference call.

Some of the statements in this press release and other written and oral statements made from time to time by the company and its representatives are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. These statements can be identified by terminology such as "may", "will", "should", "could", "expects", "intends", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "estimates", "predicts", "potential" or "continue" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These statements are based on the company's current expectations. The company's actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied in such forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements include, among others, dependence upon a limited number of customers, product obsolescence, inability to market current or future products, pricing pressure from customers, reliance on third party suppliers for raw materials, products and subcomponents, fluctuating operating results, inability to maintain high quality standards for our products, challenges to our intellectual property rights, product liability claims, inability to successfully consummate and integrate acquisitions, unsuccessful expansion into new markets, competition, inability to obtain licenses to key technology, regulatory changes or consolidation in the healthcare industry, and other risks and uncertainties described in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and other periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company assumes no obligations to update forward-looking information included in this press release to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes in future operating results, financial conditions or prospects.


                 Wilson Greatbatch Technologies, Inc.
            Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
                              (unaudited)
                (in thousands except per share amounts)


                         Three Months Ended       Nine Months Ended
                        --------------------    --------------------
                      Sept. 28,    Sept. 29,   Sept. 28,    Sept. 29,
                        2001         2000        2001         2000
                      --------     --------    --------     --------

 Revenues              $ 38,325    $ 23,256     $100,883    $ 69,840

 Gross profit            16,648       9,726       45,268      29,925
 Gross profit
  as a percentage
  of revenues                43%         42%          45%         43%


 Income (loss)
  before extra-
  ordinary loss           3,312        (860)       8,880      (1,636)

 Net income (loss)     $  3,312    ($   860)    $  5,886    ($ 1,636)
                       ========    ========     ========    ========

 Basic earnings
  (loss) per share:
   Income (loss)
    from continuing
    operations         $   0.17    ($  0.07)    $   0.46    ($  0.13)
   Net income
     (loss)            $   0.17    ($  0.07)    $   0.31    ($  0.13)
                       ========    ========     ========    ========

 Diluted earnings
  (loss) per share:
   Income (loss)
    from continuing
    operations         $   0.16    ($  0.07)    $   0.45    ($  0.13)
   Net income
    (loss)             $   0.16    ($  0.07)    $   0.30    ($  0.13)
                       ========    ========     ========    ========

 Weighted average
  shares outstanding
    Basic                20,044      12,971       19,157      12,705
    Diluted              20,426      12,971       19,529      12,705


                  Wilson Greatbatch Technologies, Inc.
                 Condensed Consolidated Revenue Detail
                              (unaudited)
                            (in thousands)


                                           Three Months Ended
                                    ------------------------------
                                     Sept. 28,         Sept. 29,
                                       2001              2000
                                    -------------    -------------

 Medical Technology

  Medical Batteries
   Pacemaker                           $ 5,851          $ 4,883
   Implantable Cardioverter
    Defibrillators                       5,453            3,658
   Other                                   802              914
                                       -------          -------
    Total Medical
     Batteries                          12,106            9,455

   Capacitors                            6,400            2,801

   Components                           13,364            6,968
                                       -------          -------

   Total Medical
    Technology                          31,870           19,224

 Commercial Power Sources                6,455            4,032

                                       -------          -------
 Total Revenue                         $38,325          $23,256
                                       =======          =======



                 Wilson Greatbatch Technologies, Inc.
            Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
                              (unaudited)
                (in thousands except per share amounts)


                        Three Months Ended       Nine Months Ended
                      ----------------------   ---------------------
                     Sept. 28,    Sept. 29,     Sept. 28,    Sept. 29,
                       2001         2000          2001         2000
                     --------     ---------     ---------    --------

                          
 Revenues            $ 38,325    $  23,256     $ 100,883     $ 69,840

 Cost of goods
  sold                 21,677       13,530        55,615       39,915
                     --------    ---------     ---------     --------

 Gross profit          16,648        9,726        45,268       29,925
 Gross profit
  as a percentage
  of revenues              43%          42%           45%          43%

 Selling, 
  general and
  administrative
  expense               4,695        3,061        13,007        8,193

 Research,
  development
  and engineering
  costs, net            3,237        2,456         9,797        7,502

 Intangible
  amortization          2,169        1,628         5,519        4,895
                     --------    ---------     ---------     --------
                        6,547        2,581        16,945        9,335

 Interest
  expense               1,159        3,879         2,599       11,666
 Other expense
  (income)                 52          (70)          138            1
                     --------    ---------     ---------     --------

 Income (loss)
  before income
  taxes and
  extraordinary
  loss                  5,336       (1,228)       14,208       (2,332)

 Income tax expense
  (benefit)             2,024         (368)        5,328         (696)
                     --------    ---------     ---------     --------

 Income (loss)
  before extraordinary
  loss                  3,312         (860)        8,880       (1,636)

 Extraordinary loss
  on retirement of
  debt, net of tax          0            0        (2,994)           0
                     --------    ---------     ---------     --------

 Net income (loss)   $  3,312    ($    860)    $   5,886     ($ 1,636)
                     ========    =========     =========     ========

 Basic earnings
  (loss) per share:
    Income (loss)
     from 
     continuing
     operations      $   0.17    ($   0.07)    $    0.46     ($  0.13)
    Extraordinary
     loss on
     retirement
     of debt             0.00         0.00         (0.15)        0.00
                     --------    ---------     ---------     --------
    Net income 
     (loss)          $   0.17    ($   0.07)    $    0.31     ($  0.13)
                     ========    =========     =========     ========

 Diluted earnings
  (loss) per share:
    Income (loss)
     from 
     continuing
     operations      $   0.16    ($   0.07)    $    0.45     ($  0.13)
    Extraordinary
     loss on 
     retirement
     of debt             0.00         0.00         (0.15)        0.00
                     --------    ---------     ---------     --------
      Net income
      (loss)         $   0.16    ($   0.07)    $    0.30     ($  0.13)
                     ========    =========     =========     ========

 Weighted average
  shares outstanding
   Basic               20,044       12,971        19,157       12,705
   Diluted             20,426       12,971        19,529       12,705




                    Wilson Greatbatch Technologies, Inc.
                    Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet
                               (In thousands)

                                       Sept. 28,             Dec. 29,
                                         2001                 2000
                                     ------------         ------------
 ASSETS                               (unaudited)

 CURRENT ASSETS:
   Cash and cash
    equivalents                        $  43,641           $      16
   Accounts receivable,
    net of allowance
    for doubtful accounts
    of $421 and $319
    as of Sept. 28, 2001
    and Dec. 29, 2000,
    respectively                          21,658              12,977
   Inventories                            25,740              13,643
   Prepaid expenses and
    other assets                           2,947                 819
   Refundable income taxes                   279                 623
   Deferred tax asset                      1,863               1,863
                                       ---------           ---------

    Total current assets                  96,128              29,941

 PROPERTY, PLANT AND
  EQUIPMENT, NET                          40,990              36,625
 INTANGIBLE ASSETS, NET                  139,489             104,395
 DEFERRED TAX ASSET                        8,800               8,800
 OTHER ASSETS                              1,970               1,886
                                       ---------           ---------
 TOTAL ASSETS                          $ 287,377           $ 181,647
                                       =========           =========

 LIABILITIES AND
  STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

 CURRENT LIABILITIES:

  Accounts payable                     $   5,076           $   2,365
  Accrued liabilities                     15,345               9,480
  Current maturities
   of long-term obligations               12,007               3,017
                                       ---------           ---------

    Total current
     liabilities                          32,428              14,862

 LONG-TERM OBLIGATIONS                    68,416              30,951
                                       ---------           ---------

    Total liabilities                    100,844              45,813
                                       ---------           ---------


 STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY:
  Common stock                                21                  19
  Capital in excess
   of par value                          201,280             157,526
  Retained deficit                       (11,646)            (17,532)
                                       ---------           ---------

    Subtotal                             189,655             140,013

  Less treasury stock,
   at cost                                (3,122)             (4,179)
                                       ---------           ---------

    Total stockholders' equity           186,533             135,834
                                       ---------           ---------

 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND
  STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY                 $ 287,377           $ 181,647
                                       =========           =========


            

Kontaktdaten