Veeco sells metrology business to Bruker

PLAINVIEW, USA: Veeco Instruments Inc. has agreed to sell its Metrology business to Bruker Corp., a leading provider of high-performance scientific instruments and solutions for molecular and materials research, for $229 million in cash.

The transaction has been approved by the Board of Directors of both companies and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2010, pending regulatory review and subject to customary closing conditions.

The sale will transfer Veeco’s worldwide Metrology business to Bruker, including Veeco’s Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) business in Santa Barbara, CA and its Optical Industrial Metrology (OIM) business in Tucson, AZ, as well as Veeco’s associated global AFM/OIM field sales and support organization.

Bruker intends to combine Veeco Metrology with its global Bruker Nano instruments business, which currently sells a broad range of systems and analytical solutions for materials and nanotechnology research. Veeco currently expects cash proceeds from the transaction to be approximately $160 million net of estimated applicable taxes and transaction fees. Additional terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Citigroup Global Markets Inc. acted as exclusive financial advisor to Veeco in connection with the transaction.

John R. Peeler, Veeco’s CEO, commented: “Following the sale of Metrology, Veeco expects to benefit from greater focus on and investment in our LED and Solar, and Data Storage Process Equipment businesses. We believe the sale of Metrology will allow us to accelerate our progress developing new products, gaining share, and aligning with key customers in markets with large growth opportunities, including several “clean tech” markets. The sale is also expected to give us additional financial flexibility to pursue acquisitions and expand customer support for our growing Asia business.”

Peeler continued: “Veeco Metrology is a great business that is strong, growing and profitable and has many exciting new products. Even so, it lacks meaningful synergies with our Process Equipment businesses in technology, distribution and customers. We believe it will be a better fit as part of a large and successful instrumentation company, such as Bruker, where the focus will be on continued development of innovative scientific instruments. We have great confidence that the Metrology business will continue to grow and prosper as part of Bruker.”

Frank H. Laukien, Bruker’s president and CEO, added: “We are excited to add Veeco’s industry-leading scanning probe microscope (SPM) and optical metrology systems to the Bruker product portfolio of high-performance materials research and nanotechnology instruments. We very much look forward to welcoming the customers, management and employees of the Veeco Metrology business to Bruker after the closing of the transaction.”

Veeco will account for the Metrology business segment as a “discontinued operation” effective August 15, 2010. Veeco is therefore updating guidance for third quarter 2010 revenue from continuing operations to be in the range of $255-280 million, with GAAP earnings per share between $1.45 and $1.72 and non-GAAP EPS between $1.13 and $1.33. Without Metrology, Veeco’s updated guidance is that 2010 revenues from continuing operations will be approximately $1 billion, with about 90% from the LED & Solar business segment.