Argon was founded in 1972, in Garland, Texas, USA, and focused on stainless steel guidewires. Over the next decade additional products were added to Argon’s portfolio. In 1981 it was relocated to Athens, Texas, and sold to Bristol-Myers Squibb. The Company grew through the addition of a custom packing operation. Henley International bought the Company in 1991, and in November 2003, RoundTable Healthcare Partners, a premier private equity firm located in Lake Forest, Illinois, bought Argon. At this time Argon had 350 employees. RoundTable’s exclusive focus is medical device and specialty pharmaceutical businesses.
In October of 2010, Argon purchased the Critical Care and Extended Dwell Catheter product portfolios from Becton Dickinson becoming a global operation with sales offices in 8 countries in Europe, Japan and China and manufacturing plants in Singapore, and Athens, Texas, USA increasing its headcount to over 700 employees.
In 2010 and 2011 Argon entered into exclusive licensing agreements with Rex Medical to add the OptionTM Vena Cava Filter, CleanerTM Rotational Thrombectomy System and UltraStreamTM Dialysis Catheters to its product line.
In April of 2013 Argon acquired the Interventional business from Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, augmenting Argon’s business strategy to grow the Company into a leading player in the interventional medicine space worldwide. This significantly expanded Argon’s global sales organizations, increasing its reach and providing the opportunity for rapid growth. With the Angiotech Interventional acquisition, Argon added additional offices in Europe, and manufacturing plants in Wheeling, Illinois and Rochester, NY, USA.
In December 2015, Argon acquired the 3 products it had previously licensed from Rex Medical. Argon Medical Devices, Inc. now wholly owns The OptionELITE™ Retrievable Vena Cava Filter, the CLEANER™ Rotational Thrombectomy System, and the UltraStream™ Chronic Dialysis Catheter.
Today, Argon employs approximately 1,200 employees worldwide, and is committed to continuing its growth as a world-class medical device business.
For more information on Argon, please visit our website. www.argonmedical.com.
