Tucson: SEBRA Sells Division for $12.5M

Tucson’s SEBRA sells a division for $12.5M

Buyer to offer workers jobs at its Massachusetts, Salt Lake City facilities

By Enric Volante

ARIZONA DAILY STAR 9/9/09

Tucson-based Engineering and Re­search Associates Inc., known as SEBRA, has sold its blood-collection and process­ing division to a Massachusetts firm for $12.5 million cash.

Haemonetics Corp., a global blood management solutions company in Brain­tree, Mass., will retain the SEBRA brand and relocate the division to its Braintree and Salt Lake City locations.

The companies announced Tuesday that the acquisition is expected to close within several weeks.

SEBRA employs 75 people in Tucson, downfromapeakof 100ayearago.

Those in the blood division acquired by Haemonetics will be offered jobs at the out-of-state locations, said SEBRA Presi­dent and CEO Roger Vogel, who did not have specific job numbers.

Initially, the deal will mean a net de­crease in jobs in Tucson. In the long term, however, Vogel predicted a net increase, due in part to the capital raised by selling the business line.

“We’re going to take those dollars and reinvest and continue to grow SEBRA here in Tucson,” Vogel said. “We like doing business here and being here, and it’s our goal to continue to grow this company in this community.”

The sale will enable Engineering and Research Associates to expand its other products and services for the medical-de­vice manufacturing and biopharmaceuti­cal industries, Vogel said. It will operate under a new name to be announced later this year.

The SEBRA blood collection and pro­cessing business reported $10 million in sales in 2008. Vogel, a former IBM execu­tive who began leading SEBRA in 2005, said the company overall has grown nicely in the past five years or so.

SEBRA’s products include radio-fre­quency tube sealers, whole-blood collec­tion devices and other ancillary equip­ment.

Haemonetics says it helps hospitals and blood collectors improve care and lower costs by optimizing the collection, pro­cessing and use of scarce blood resources.

Brian Concannon, Haemonetics presi­dent and CEO, said the SEBRA products expand Haemonetics’ offerings while strengthening the company’s footprint in the whole blood collection market at the right time. The company is developing an automated whole blood collection system expected to launch in late fiscal 2011.

Contact reporter Enric Volante at 573-4129 or evolante@azstarnet.com