Alaris Ascendant

Just two years ago, the merger of Ivac and Imed that created Alaris Medical seemed a last-ditch effort against entrenched industry giants Baxter and Abbott, which were offering customers an IV solutions-pump bundle that threatened Ivac's and Imed's stand-alone technology. Alaris Medical has successfully fought off its much larger competitors, winning important contract positions at many of the leading hospital purchasing groups . But the recent trend toward toward consolidation in medical supplies has company officials worried because Alaris's prospects for growth in its core business are limited.