Ecolab buys U.K. contamination control products company

07/01/2006

Ecolab Inc. has purchased Shield Medicare Ltd. With annual sales of approximately $19 million, Shield (Farnham, United Kingdom) is a leading European developer, manufacturer and marketer of contamination-control products used in pharmaceutical, medical device and hospital cleanrooms. No further details regarding the transaction were announced.

Ecolab’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Douglas M. Baker, Jr. stated, “With its established position in the fast-growing cleanroom market, Shield will significantly enhance our European offering in healthcare and provide further product breadth as we work to help customers better meet rapidly increasing standards in pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing processes.”

With 2005 sales of $4.5 billion, Ecolab is a leading global developer and marketer of premium cleaning, sanitizing, pest elimination, maintenance and repair products for the hospitality, food service, healthcare and industrial markets.