Business Weekly - Cambridge, UK

Danaher Corporation has had its bid for Tektronix at $38 (£19) a share unanimously recommended. It is also thought to be looking at other East of England electronic test businesses for further acquisitional opportunities.

Danaher appeared to be on a crusade to single-handedly absorb Cambridge’s world-renowned inkjet cluster when it tried to buy Xaar last November – a move that was solidly rebuffed – having already  bought St Ives based Linx Printing Technologies for £86m, Willet for £58m and Videojet (which had previously acquired Cambridgeshire based Elmjet).

The addition of Tektronix will  significantly expand Danaher’s leading global position in the electronic test arena.

Tektronix owns Huntingdon based Thurlby Thandar Instruments Ltd and Northants duo RS Components in Corby and SJ Electronics Ltd in Kettering.

With annual revenues of around £1/2 bn, Tektronix is a leading supplier of test, measurement and monitoring products enabling the design, manufacture, and management of next-generation global communications networks, computing and advanced technologies.

Headquartered in Oregon, it has operations in 19 countries.

Its products and solutions address the needs of industry leaders in communications, computers, semiconductors and consumer electronics – as well as military/aerospace, education and a broad range of other industries.

Tektronix would become part of Danaher’s Electronic Test platform, joining Danaher’s Fluke and Fluke Networks businesses, and nearly doubling the platform’s revenues. The combined brands are some of the most highly recognised in their respective product segments.

With its HQ in Washington DC, Danaher Corporation is a leading manufacturer of professional instrumentation, medical technologies, industrial technologies and tools and components.