ST. PAUL, Minnesota – Patterson Companies, Inc. operates as a distributor serving the dental, companion-pet veterinarian, and rehabilitation supply markets. The company operates in three segments: Dental Supply, Veterinary Supply, and Rehabilitation Supply. The Dental Supply segment offers consumable dental supplies, such as x-ray film and solutions; impression materials; restorative materials; hand instruments; sterilization products; anesthetics; infection control products, such as protective clothing, gloves, and facemasks; paper, cotton, and other disposable products; toothbrushes; and dental accessories, including instruments, burs, and diamonds. It also provides dental equipment products, including x-ray machines, handpieces, dental chairs, dental handpiece control units, diagnostic equipment, sterilizers, dental lights, and compressors, as well as practice management and clinical software, patient education systems, and office forms and stationery to dentists, laboratories, institutions, and other healthcare professionals throughout North America. The Veterinary Supply segment's products include consumable supplies, such as lab supplies, paper goods, needles and syringes, gauze and wound dressings, sutures, latex gloves, orthopedic, and casting products; pharmaceuticals, including anesthetics, antibiotics, injectibles, ointments, and nutraceuticals; diagnostics, such as on-site testing products; and biologicals, including vaccines and injectibles for companion-pet veterinary clinics in the eastern United States. The Rehabilitation Supply segment offers rehabilitation medical supplies and non wheelchair assistive patient products to the physical and occupational therapy markets. The company, formerly known as Patterson Dental Company, was founded in 1877 and changed its name to Patterson Companies, Inc. in 2004. Patterson Companies is based in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Shares were up 6% after Forecasting Up to 17 Percent Increase in 2008 Earnings Per Share.

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Dental and veterinary products distributor Patterson Cos. on Thursday May 24, 2007 forecast an increase of up to 17 percent in 2008 earnings per share.

Based on the fiscal fourth quarter, the company forecast earnings per share of 34 cents to 36 cents for the fiscal first quarter and $1.73 to $1.77 for the fiscal year.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial expect earnings per share of 35 cents for the first quarter and $1.75 for the year.

The company posted fiscal fourth-quarter profit of 44 cents per share on revenue of $739.1 million, and a profit of $1.51 per share on revenue of $2.8 billion for the year.

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