Beckman Coulter, Inc. simplifies and automates laboratory testing used in all phases of the battle against disease. Notably, the company has the infrastructure to service the entire biomedical testing continuum, from pioneering medical research and discovery, to products used to diagnose and monitor patients.

In the hospital clinical laboratory, Beckman Coulter's products perform virtually all blood tests routinely requested by physicians: blood cell counts, electrolytes, cholesterol, thyroid, prostate cancer - more than 350 tests in total. For the biomedical research, the company manufactures a broad range of systems used in basic medical research; proteomic and genomic cellular research; and drug discovery.

In addition, Beckman Coulter is a leading provider of automation solutions that speed test results and lower overall laboratory costs. Customers for Beckman Coulter's systems include pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, universities, medical schools and research institutions, hospitals, physicians' offices and commercial laboratories worldwide. The company has over 200,000 major instrument systems in service around the world today.

As a global company, Beckman Coulter derives about 62% of it's sales from the United States, 26% from Europe and 12% from Asia. Repeat after-market sales of chemistry kits, operation supplies and service generate nearly two-thirds of the company's annual revenues. Beckman Coulter competes in market segments that total more than $40 billion in annual sales worldwide.

Beckman Coulter has a rich tradition of inventive genius. Founder Arnold O. Beckman, Ph.D. invented the first pH meter, called the acidimeter, which allowed pH measurement to become fast and accurate. Today the pH meter is a common instrument found in virtually every commercial laboratory.

Similarly, Wallace Coulter discovered the Coulter Principle, an electronic, automatic way of counting and measuring the size of microscopic particles. This led Wallace and his brother, Joseph, to develop the COULTER COUNTER®, the first commercial blood cell counter and the instrument that marked the beginning of the field of hematology.

Headquartered in Fullerton, California, U.S.A., Beckman Coulter employs more than 10,000 people throughout the world and is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BEC. In 2004, the company reported annual sales of $2.4 billion. For more information on Beckman Coulter or its products and services, visit www.beckmancoulter.com.