QUEBEC CITY, Oct. 1, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EXFO Inc. (Nasdaq:EXFO) (TSX:EXF) announced today that it has sold its Life Sciences and Industrial Division to The Riverside Company, a global private equity firm, for US$24.3 million in cash. The purchase price is subject to adjustments for minimum working capital requirements.
The Life Sciences and Industrial Division, based in Toronto, Canada, provides solutions in medical device and opto-electronics assembly, fluorescence microscopy and other life science sectors. It generated US$25.4 million in sales and US$4.3 million in earnings from operations for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2010.
The Life Sciences and Industrial Division will be presented as a discontinued operation in EXFO's fiscal 2010 fourth-quarter and year-end financial results, which will be released after the close of markets on October 12, 2010.
"The creation of the Life Sciences and Industrial Division has served EXFO well over the years with steady sales and earnings, while providing an environment for this division's staff and management to perform," said Germain Lamonde, EXFO's Chairman, President and CEO. "The divestiture of this business will enable EXFO to concentrate all its efforts and resources on its core telecom test and service assurance business, while allowing the Life Sciences and Industrial Division to be more strategically developed. EXFO's exclusive focus on the global telecom industry will benefit customers, employees and shareholders in the long term."
About EXFO
EXFO is a leading provider of next-generation test and service assurance solutions for wireless and wireline network operators and equipment manufacturers in the global telecommunications industry. The company offers core-to-edge solutions that assess the performance and reliability of converged, IP fixed and mobile networks. Key technologies supported include 3G, 4G/LTE, IMS, Ethernet, OTN, xDSL, and various optical technologies accounting for an estimated 35% of the portable fiber-optic test market. EXFO has a staff of approximately 1700 people in 25 countries, supporting more than 2000 telecom customers worldwide. For more information, visit www.EXFO.com.