DANAHER Announces Definitive Agreement To Acquire Leica Microsystems

Washington, D.C., July 1, 2005 - Danaher Corporation (NYSE: DHR) announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement to purchase German-based Leica Microsystems AG from LM Investments S.à r.l. The purchase price amounts to an enterprise value of approximately US $550 million (€450 million), including assumed debt, pension liabilities, transaction costs and net of cash acquired.

Headquartered in Wetzlar, Germany, Leica Microsystems is a leading global designer and producer of innovative high- precision optical systems for the analysis of microstructures, with revenues of approximately $660 million in 2004. It is a market leader in Microscopy, Pathology Diagnostics, Surgical Microscopes as well as Semiconductor wafer defect and inspection solutions and specialized electron-beam lithography systems. The company manufactures a broad range of products for numerous applications that require either microscopic visual presentation, measurement, analysis or electron-beam lithography. Leica Microsystems is repre-sented in over 100 countries with 10 manufacturing facilities located in Europe, China and Singapore, sales and service organizations in 19 countries and an international dealer network.

Click here for details (Danaher web site). More about the deal - here (via Yahoo).