Acquisition of Informatics, a US Company Operating in the Automatic Identification Sector

Datalogic S.p.A. - a company listed in the TechStar division of the Milan Stock Exchange, involved in the design, production and distribution of bar code readers and RFID systems - has reached an agreement to acquire Informatics, a US company operating in the bar code and RFID sector.

The agreement, worth approximately 23 million US dollars (equal to approximately Euro 18.2 million) for the acquisition of 90% of the companys shares, was reached with Informatics founding partners and current shareholders.

The fact that the companys current management are to remain in office will allow Datalogic to acquire qualified staff members boasting an in-depth knowledge of the market. The agreement was signed on 02/03/05 in Dallas, Texas.

Informatics, based in Dallas (Texas, USA), currently employs a staff of 95 and ended 2004 with a turnover of approximately 34 million dollars, boasting an operating profit of over 10%. The company had no major financial indebtedness as at the date when the agreement was signed. The Informatics group operates on the US market under a number of brand names, the best-known of which are System ID and Wasp Barcode.

Datalogics acquisition of Informatics is strategic insofar as it represents an opportunity for the Bologna-based company to integrate its business solutions offer, allowing it to establish important partnerships in sectors with major development potential, in addition to strengthening the companys presence and positioning in the US market.

In fact the acquisition means that Datalogic will be able to provide its own business customers with a complete set of solutions ranging from data capture, processing and transmission to object marking (thanks to the recent acquisition of Laservall) and systems software.

The acquisition of Informatics, stated Roberto Tunioli, Vice Chairman and CEO of Datalogic, will allow us to speed up our expansion plans and double our presence on the leading US market.

We are extremely proud to join an important, prestigious group such as Datalogic, stressed E. Burke, Informatics President, since it offers us the chance to acquire company clients in markets outside our continent.