Varian Medical Systems to Celebrate Grand Opening of New Las Vegas Factory

LAS VEGAS, May 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Varian Medical Systems, Inc. , the world's leading manufacturer of X-ray technology for industrial and medical applications, will celebrate the Grand Opening of a new 85,000 square foot manufacturing center here on May 29, 2008, from noon to 3p.m.

The new center will serve as headquarters for the company's Security and Inspection Products (SIP) group, which makes high-energy X-ray machines that are used for non-destructive testing and in cargo screening installations at ports and border crossings around the world.

"Varian has developed and deployed a successful technology that makes it possible to look inside an unopened cargo container and automatically detect dangerous materials in a matter of seconds. This greatly improves the efficiency of the inspection process as well as providing better images, making it possible to inspect a greater percentage of the more than 10 million containers that come into the U.S. every year without disrupting commerce," said Lester Boeh, Varian's vice president for emerging businesses.

Varian, which is based in Palo Alto, California, moved a significant part of its operation from Silicon Valley to Las Vegas in 2002, working with the State of Nevada's new business incentive programs. Within six short years, the fast-growing SIP business outgrew its original manufacturing facility at 6883 Spencer Street.

"With the completion of the new factory nearby at 6811 Spencer Street, we expect to increase our production capacity by a factor of two to three," said Bob Drubka, general manager. "In addition, we'll have more room to grow and develop the new products we have in the pipeline."

In addition to manufacturing space, the new facility houses offices for sales, marketing, and engineering staff, as well as meeting rooms and a cafeteria.

"We are excited about this expansion of our Las Vegas facility," said Tim Guertin, Varian's CEO. "Our orders for security and inspection products are up by over 60 percent compared with last year. During a time of economic uncertainty, we are pleased to see our Las Vegas-based business running in high growth mode. The new factory is a tangible manifestation of our commitment to doing business in Las Vegas."

In addition to Varian's SIP group, the Las Vegas site houses some of the company's medical product support functions, including an education division that trains clinicians from all over the world in how to use Varian technology for treating cancer patients. The company's Oncology Systems treatment planning software development and marketing teams are also housed here, along with a parts bank for servicing North American customers.

The Open House on May 29 will include lunch, tours of the facility, and a short formal program. Members of the press are invited to attend by contacting Meryl Ginsberg, Senior Public Relations Manager, at 650-424-6444 or meryl.ginsberg@varian.com.