Altor Acquires ge Healthcare’s Dental-imaging System
Nordic private equity fund Altor 2003 Fund has acquired General Electric Healthcare’s dental-imaging business, subject to regulatory approval and employee consultation. With the transaction, Altor aims to develop the unit, which began with the combination of Soredex and Instrumentarium, as an independent Finnish company and to strengthen the company’s position as a dental-imaging-equipment provider.
“We are excited about the technology know-how and the growth opportunities for the dental-imaging unit and look forward to developing the business as an independent Finnish company,” says Jaakko Kivinen, investment director at Altor Equity Partners. “The company’s renowned imaging products, combined with the employee’s proven track record in product development and customer service, provide a solid platform for further growth.”
At its production unit in Tuusula, Finland, the dental business unit designs and manufactures intraoral and extraoral x-ray products for global markets. The dental business unit has operations worldwide and will assume a new name after the transaction has been completed.
Ortho Organizers Changes Ownership
Ortho Organizers Inc has been acquired by an investor group that includes Ampersand Ventures, Celebrity Partners, and an executive team.
“I am excited for the future of Ortho Organizers and all of our employees, customers, and clinical instructors,” says Lindsay Brehm, founder of Ortho Organizers. “The infusion of additional capital and management expertise will drive the organization to new heights and provide greater opportunities for everyone who helped build this company.”
Ortho Organizers provides a wide range of orthodontic products to the worldwide dental market and has enjoyed consistent profitability throughout its 33-year history.
ADEA and AADR Launch Recruitment Program
The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) and the American Association of Dental Research (AADR) have united to launch the Academic Dental Careers Fellowship Program, a faculty-recruitment program that will encourage and prepare students attending all US and Canadian dental schools to enter academic dentistry. The program is being established with $100,000 donated by the American Dental Association Foundation (ADAF), which is the ADA’s charitable arm.
“This program can really make a difference,” says Christopher S. Arena, ADEA vice president for students. “Students with a passing interest in exploring academic careers often don’t know where they can learn more. Others may have a serious interest but need guidance in preparing themselves to become faculty members. This program will rapidly become a valued resource for students.”
Designed to attract students interested in academic careers, the program will offer four or five seminars that will focus on the roles of full-time, part-time, clinical, and research faculty; loan-repayment programs; and the importance of dental education to organized dentistry. The program will also provide a yearlong learning and networking experience to 10 students during their third-year equivalency. Under the guidance of faculty members, the students will teach a preclinical course, work in a research lab, or provide lectures and conduct structured interviews with faculty and administrators at their home institutions.
The students will also work together (via an Internet-based network) on group activities through which they will discuss clinical issues, online and reading assignments, problem-based learning exercises, and case presentations. At the end of the year, the fellows will share what they’ve learned in presentations at the ADEA and AADR Annual Sessions. The students will receive a $2,000 stipend during the year.
ADEA and AADR will initiate the Academic Dental Career’s Fellowship Program at their 2006 Annual Sessions in Orlando, Fla. Applications for the first class of fellows are due June 30, 2006.
