Smiths Group buys Bivona Medical Technologies

LONDON (Nov. 2)—Smiths Group P.L.C., parent of the Forsheda and Shamban industrial sealing systems companies, has acquired Bivona Medical Technologies, a Gary, Ind.-based silicone medical maker, from Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Corp. for $35.6 million. The acquisition will enhance Smiths medical division, which supplies polyvinyl chloride-based medical tubes, Smiths said. Bivona has 260 employees and annual sales of about $21 million, predominantly in the U.S., Smiths said. Its silicone products include tracheotomy tubes and wire-reinforced endotracheal tubes that maintain a patient's breathing during anesthesia. Smiths Medical generates annual sales of $634 million and profits of $130 million, from a broad portfolio of medical devices and equipment.