Franklin Lakes, NJ (December 22, 1997) -- Becton Dickinson has signed a new contract with SmithKline Beecham Clinical Laboratories, a business unit of SmithKline Beecham, and one of the top three commercial reference laboratories in the U.S. and the U.K.

Through this contract, SmithKline Beecham recognizes Becton Dickinson as a “Strategic Corporate Partner,” with whom they will work over the long term.

In addition, Becton Dickinson Immunocytometry Systems (BDIS) is specified as the sole source provider for flow cytometry products, securing BDIS’s first major foothold in the national reference laboratory marketplace, creating a worldwide presence for BDIS in the clinical market.

By uniting under one contract and awarding growth incentives to enhance all existing BD businesses and gain rapid conversion to BDIS's flow cytometry products, the capabilities of the company were leveraged to create a total customer solution.

"This major victory in the clinical reference lab marketplace is the culmination of over a year's worth of hard work and diligent relationship-building," said Deborah Neff, BDIS Worldwide Business President. "Winning this contract required true one-company collaboration and is an example of how a business and BDHS can work together to achieve results."