Z Corporation to be acquired by 3D Systems

The news is part of a wider announcement in which the Contex Group, a subsidiary of Ratos AB, announced that it had signed an agreement to sell its subsidiaries, Z Corporation and Vidar Systems, to 3D Systems Corporation for USD 137m in cash. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close by the end of 2011 or early 2012.

"Our vision is to help designers create more ideas, more communication, and more innovation; and joining 3D Systems enables to us deliver on that promise even faster," said Z Corporation CEO John Kawola. "We intend to make multi-color 3D printing accessible to far more designers, provide a more complete customer experience, rapidly advance new applications, and build the foundation for a new generation of Z Corporation innovations."

"This decisive step will unleash the growth and value creation potential that this opportunity presents to our expanding base of customers, employees and shareholders," commented Abe Reichental, president and CEO of 3D Systems. "This is a strategic fit for both businesses that will expand our capabilities in product development, channel coverage, manufacturing and marketing. We share Z Corporation’s commitment to its customers and partners, and look forward to building the 3D content-to-print platform of the future."