Dentsply International Inc. recently bought Glenroe Technologies Inc., a producer of plastic orthodontic accessory products.
``[Glenroe] adds a nice little niche,'' said William Jellison, Dentsply senior vice president and chief financial officer.
Former Glenroe owner and President John Bozman Sr. will remain with the company as a general manager. His son, John Bozman Jr., will continue as his vice president.
Glenroe operates two facilities: one that performs injection molding and thermoforming in Bradenton, Fla., and another that extrudes film and tubing in Baldwin, Ga. The company is based in Bradenton.
Bozman Sr. sold because he thought it was the best way to expand while still maintaining a modicum of control. ``We had reached a point as a family business where it was a lot harder to obtain finances for growth,'' he said.
Dentsply contacted Bozman Sr. three months ago to discuss purchasing Glenroe.
``We wouldn't have sold the company with any other except one, and that was the one company that called us,'' Bozman said. The sheer size of Dentsply encouraged Bozman to sell, he said. ``Dentsply is three times larger than the next competitor.''
Dentsply develops and makes an extensive selection of dental products.
York, Pa.-based Dentsply expects Glenroe to add $7 million to $8 million to its yearly sales, according to the company.
Dentsply has no specific plans to acquire more plastics processors, but Jellison said, ``[Dentsply] will always look to find appropriate businesses within the dental arena. If they happen to be plastics, so be it.''