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Indianapolis-based Harlan Laboratories - a powerhouse in the lab-animal business that's maintained a super-low profile since its founding 83 years ago - sold out last month in fittingly quiet fashion.
Harlan and the buyer, United Kingdom-based Huntingdon Life Sciences, confirmed the purchase but would not disclose terms.
Whether the merger of the former rivals is good for Indianapolis will play out in the coming months. Huntingdon has 1,200 employees, most of them in the United Kingdom and Princeton, N.J. Harlan has about 2,300 employees worldwide, including 300 locally.
On the one hand, as IBJ reported last year, Harlan had been weighed down by debt, which credit analysts deemed a serious liability. On the other, merging competitors sometimes leads to deep staff cuts.
Harlan Chief Financial Officer Doug Vaughan offered reassuring words: "There are no plans to have any layoffs in the area, and Huntingdon is planning to continue an Indianapolis presence."
He added, "We would hope our business will grow locally."
But when IBJ asked a Huntingdon spokesman whether the Indianapolis operations were likely to be reduced, maintained or increased, he was noncommittal.
"Our aim is to build a...