U.S. Unit Of Dynacare To Buy Seattle-Based Pathology Lab

SEATTLE - The Laboratory of Pathology of Seattle Inc. will be sold for $18.8 million to Dynacre (U.S.) Inc., a division of Toronto-based Dynacare Inc., a large, publicly owned health-care provider.

The deal is to be completed early next year, said Dr. John Batjer, a partner in the Seattle operation. The lab, the largest of its kind in the Pacific Northwest, is headquartered in the Nordstrom Tower on the Swedish Hospital campus on First Hill.

Besides serving Swedish, the 10-year-old company also works with many other local and regional health-care providers. Customers shouldn't notice any real difference in service, Dr. Batjer said. He and other partners will continue working there.

Dynacare, which already has a laboratory in Mount Vernon, Skagit County, plans further expansion in the Northwest. Dr. Batjer said his group decided to sell to Dynacare to position itself with working capital for the future. He said many companies that wanted to buy the Seattle lab would have eliminated local jobs while Dynacare wants to expand here. The lab has 360 employees.