LYNN, Mass., Nov. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Willow Laboratories announced today that it has been acquired by Ampersand Capital Partners. Willow is one of the country’s leading clinical and forensic toxicology laboratories providing urine, hair, and saliva testing services to a wide range of healthcare providers including treatment centers, physician practices, and other laboratories. Using state-of-the-art technology, Willow provides qualitative and quantitative alcohol and drugs-of-abuse test results to aid clients in the diagnosis and treatment of substance abuse.

Gail Marcus has joined Willow as president and chief executive officer. Ms. Marcus has significant experience building successful healthcare service organizations and was recently CEO of Caris Diagnostics, (now Miraca Life Sciences), a national diagnostic pathology laboratory.

Ms. Marcus also serves as president and CEO of Calloway Laboratories, which recently signed a definitive agreement to be acquired by Ampersand. She commented, “I am excited to be working with the Willow and Calloway management teams and look forward to sharing strengths and resources across the companies in order to provide clients the most-complete set of toxicology lab services available in the marketplace.”

Jared Bartok, general partner at Ampersand, commented that “Willow is another key piece of our strategy to invest in the multi-billion dollar toxicology lab industry. With the infusion of additional capital and management resources, Willow is well positioned to capitalize on future growth opportunities in the substance abuse market while implementing a zero tolerance compliance policy.”

About Willow Laboratories
Willow is a state and federally licensed clinical toxicology lab providing a broad spectrum of testing services for substance abuse rehabilitation providers to aid them in the diagnosis and treatment of drug and alcohol addiction. Founded in 1995, Willow performs millions of drug tests annually and has clients in 20 states.

To learn more about Willow, visit www.willowlabs.com

About Ampersand Capital Partners
Ampersand is a Boston-based private equity firm with a focus on middle market growth equity investments in the Healthcare sector. Ampersand leverages its unique blend of private equity and operating experience to build value and drive long-term performance alongside its portfolio company management teams. Ampersand’s portfolio has included more than twenty years of successful investments in the specialty laboratory industry.

To learn more about Ampersand, visit www.ampersandcapital.com

SOURCE Willow Laboratories