ANANIA & Associates Investment Company LLC expands its portfolio with purchase of award-winning medical optics developer
September 13, 2010 – Portland, ME – Lighthouse Imaging Corporation, an award winning designer and manufacturer of medical optical devices, announced it sold a controlling interest in the company to ANANIA & Associates Investment Company LLC (AAI), a Maine-based Investment Fund.
“AAI was attracted to Lighthouse’s technological strength, its numerous patents, awards and its innovative leadership,” said Peter V. Anania, Chairman of AAI. “As medical science continues to advance, so does the demand for optical devices like those produced by Lighthouse Imaging. Our goal with this acquisition is to harness the technological and creative strength of Lighthouse and pair it with the business development know-how of AAI. We are confident this partnership will not only be beneficial for AAI and Lighthouse, but for the industry as a whole.”
“It’s been my privilege to watch Lighthouse Imaging contribute to many advancements in the medical device industry,” said Dennis Leiner, Ph.D., who founded Lighthouse Imaging in 1984. “This capital investment by AAI will ensure that our engineering team can continue to focus on creating innovative products and contribute to the growth of this exciting field.”
With this acquisition also comes the announcement that Mark Waite, technology entrepreneur and executive leadership professional, was named Chief Executive Officer of Lighthouse Imaging. In this new role Waite will build strategic alliances, discover new markets and develop business opportunities for the company. “Lighthouse Imaging Corporation rose to the top of the industry due to the considerable talents of Dr. Leiner,” said Waite. “It is vital he focus on developing new optical components and instruments. This acquisition allows him to do just that.”
About ANANIA & Associates Investment Company LLC (AAI)
AAI is a Maine-based investment fund investing in small, well-managed companies, primarily in the manufacturing sector. AAI provides active, hands-on financial, management and marketing oversight support to assist in both daily operations as well as enhance the long-term value of its portfolio companies. AAI raised more than $2.5 million in new equity capital in 2010, investing in four such Maine companies. For more information, please visit www.anania.biz.
About Lighthouse Imaging Corporation
Lighthouse Imaging Corporation is an award-winning provider of optical engineering and manufacturing services to the medical device industry. The company develops endoscopic equipment for leading manufacturers ranging from Fortune 500 companies to medical startups. Lighthouse is an FDA-registered medical device manufacturer with certification in ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 and has generated more than 15 patents. Products include EndoBench™ which verifies the operation of endoscopes before being used in surgery, EndoLume™ which checks all parts of the endoscopic illumination system and a complete line of optical devices for connecting endoscopes with video systems. Lighthouse Imaging was named 2010 Maine Innovator of the Year by the Maine International Trade Center.