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Danaher

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FY2007 Annual Report · Danaher
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2007 Annual Report

Imagine 

Innovate 

Execute

Evolve

Evolve:

To change to a higher and better state. 

At Danaher, we are constantly evolving in our quest to build high-performing businesses over time. From the 

composition of our portfolio and the global markets we serve to the operating system that drives all aspects 

of our business, we are constantly searching for ways to improve. Deeply rooted in kaizen, the Japanese 

word for continuous improvement, our unrelenting focus on forward progress drives us to deliver the most 

innovative products and solutions to our customers and value to our shareholders.

Throughout this report, we have used the art of origami to symbolize Danaher’s continuous business  

evolution. The myriad improvements, both large and small, that we make at Danaher on a daily basis are  

like the countless folds that transform a single sheet of paper into a cohesive and intricate work of art. 

Dear Fellow Shareholder:

Danaher had another terrific year in 2007. Revenues from continuing operations 

increased 16.5% and adjusted earnings per share from continuing operations grew 

19%. We strengthened our portfolio organically and expanded our key strategic 

platforms with 12 acquisitions that in the aggregate added over  

$1.5 billion of new revenue for Danaher. The Danaher team performed well  

in 2007, and I am proud of and thankful for their efforts.

2007 Milestones

Of particular importance, Danaher achieved three major milestones in 2007:

•	 Revenues	exceeded	$10	billion	

•	 More	than	50%	of	revenues	are	now	generated	outside	of	the	United	States

•	 Free	cash	flow	exceeded	$1.5	billion	

As a result of these achievements, we entered 2008 not only larger but stronger and more global than ever. The  

evolution of Danaher continues and this report highlights various aspects of that evolution which we believe bode  

well for our future performance. Evolution, like kaizen, is by nature continuous. Danaher has come a long way since  

I first joined the company, but our evolution is far from finished.

DBS Evolution

As a result of our early study of the Toyota Production System, the Danaher Business System (DBS) has evolved from  

its	roots	on	the	manufacturing	floor	to	a	comprehensive	approach,	driving	customer	satisfaction	and	growth	through	

1

Financial Operating Highlights 
(dollars in thousands except per share data and number of associates)

2007 

2006

Sales* 
Operating profit* 
Net earnings* 
Earnings per share (diluted)* 
Operating	cash	flow*	
Capital expenditures* 
Free	cash	flow	(operating	cash	flow	less	capital	expenditures)* 
Number of associates  
Total assets  
Total debt  
Stockholders’ equity  
Total capitalization (total debt plus stockholders’ equity)  

*From continuing operations

$ 
$ 
$ 
$ 
$	
$ 
$ 

$ 
$ 
$ 
$ 

11,025,917 
1,740,709 
1,213,998 
3.72 
1,699,308	
162,071 
1,537,237 
50,000 
17,471,935 
3,726,244 
9,085,688 
12,811,932 

$ 
$ 
$ 
$ 
$	
$ 
$ 

$ 
$ 
$ 
$ 

9,466,056
1,500,210
1,109,206
3.44
1,530,729
136,411
1,394,318
45,000
12,864,151
2,433,716
6,644,660
9,078,376

 
 
 
 
DBS is Everywhere

DBS is everywhere today and  

will continue to evolve to stay  

relevant and impact the daily  

work of everyone at Danaher.

Danaher Ten-Year Shareholder Return: 1997–2007

DHR (464% Growth)

S&P 500 (78% Growth)

DHR 

S&P 500 

2

600.00%

500.00%

400.00%

300.00%

200.00%

100.00%

0.00%

500%

400%

300%

200%

100%

0%

-100%

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innovation and continuous improvement in all aspects of the business. Representing a truly global process today, DBS is 

utilized by every operating location, function and level at Danaher to shape strategy, focus execution and create value for 

customers and shareholders alike. 

We have put tremendous energy and investment into our Ideas to Execution (I2E) initiative, aimed at strengthening the 

processes by which we conceive, develop and deliver new products to our customers. Essentially, I2E is DBS for our 

engineers, scientists, marketers and salespeople. We have borrowed heavily from the lean principles of DBS and imported 

them into these functions. Plus, we have internally and externally benchmarked best practices for research, development, 

sales and marketing that we can share across Danaher. 

Our recent launch of AQT90 Flex, Radiometer’s entry platform into the cardiac marker market, is proof I2E works. We used 

our cost-oriented DBS tools to free up funding for this ambitious undertaking, the largest R&D project in Radiometer’s 

history. We then used the I2E tools to collect customer inputs, develop and test a winning product design and deliver it in 

record time. We began shipping AQT90 Flex earlier this year and now can look to tap this new $1 billion industry segment  

for incremental growth.

The well-above market growth rates at Hach-Lange, our water quality analytics business, are further evidence of how we 

are successfully expanding DBS. Hach-Lange utilized I2E to systematically improve the effectiveness and efficiency of our 

sales teams and then, with those improvements in-hand, smartly expanded our field sales capacity to drive double-digit 

compounded annual revenue growth over the past five years.

3

DBS is everywhere and will continue to evolve to stay relevant and impact the daily work of everyone at Danaher.

Portfolio Evolution

Our portfolio certainly evolved in 2007 with 12 important additions. We continue to believe that investing our free cash 

flow	in	leadership	businesses	with	strong	prospects	for	revenue	and	profit	growth	creates	long-term	value	for	shareholders.	

Tektronix, a global leader in Test & Measurement (T&M), brought another outstanding global brand to Danaher and doubled 

the size of one of our strongest strategic platforms. In partnership with Fluke and Fluke Networks, Tektronix is expected to 

build on its legacy of developing outstanding products for the R&D engineer to accelerate growth in its served markets.  

We are off to an excellent start with the Tektronix team and are bullish about our future together in T&M.

Five-Year Compounded Annual Growth

Five-Year Compounded Annual Growth

$11,026

$1,741

$9,466

$1,500

$3.72

$3.44

$1,699

$87.74

$1,531

4

$7,871

$6,777

$1,248

$2.72

$1,090

$2.27

$5,184

$835

$1.67

$1,189

$1,019

$844

$72.44

$55.78

$57.41

$45.88

03  04  05  06  07 

03  04  05  06  07 

03  04  05  06  07 

03  04  05  06  07 

03  04  05  06  07 

Sales*

Operating Income*

EPS*

Operating Cash Flow*

Year End Share Price

Five-Year 
Compounded 
Annual Growth 
Rate 20%

Five-Year 
Compounded 
Annual Growth 
Rate 20%

Five-Year 
Compounded 
Annual Growth 
Rate 22%

(in millions)  

(in millions)  

*From Continuing Operations

Five-Year 
Compounded 
Annual Growth 
Rate 20%

(in millions)  

Five-Year 
Compounded 
Annual Growth 
Rate 22% 

 
 
 
The addition of Vision Systems was another key move as we continue to build a strong position in Life Sciences.  

We combined Vision with a division of Leica Microsystems to create Leica Biosystems, a leading supplier of  

workflow	solutions	for	clinical	histopathology	laboratories	and	a	business	with	strong	growth	prospects	and	a	 

balanced instrument and consumable revenue mix. Our customers here are on the front lines of cancer diagnostics  

and treatment, utilizing our highly reliable, quick turnaround products to enhance patient care and clinical outcomes. 

Global Evolution

Our geographic footprint evolved last year, as our organic expansion in the faster growing economies of Asia,  

Eastern Europe, Latin and South America and the Middle East accelerated. In 2007, Danaher’s core revenues grew  

at a double-digit rate in these emerging markets, which now represent approximately 15% of Danaher’s sales.  

And	with	the	addition	of	Tektronix,	more	than	50%	of	Danaher’s	revenues	come	from	markets	outside	of	the	U.S.	 

China alone is a $1 billion business for us — larger than the Danaher I joined in 1990. We have shared with you  

before our vision of becoming a premier global enterprise. We are clearly making progress, yet still see plenty of 

opportunity for further expansion and growth ahead.

Final Thoughts

Danaher evolves almost daily, but certain things stay the same. Our five core values are steadfast. Our focus on 

performance,	especially	free	cash	flow,	is	another	constant.	Our	free	cash	flow	has	compounded	at	20%	annually	 

over the last five years and for 16 years in a row has exceeded our net income. 

Consumer	and	credit	market	turmoil	suggests	uncertainty	ahead	in	the	U.S.	while	our	international	markets	remain	

stable. We aim to outperform in 2008 regardless of the economic environment in which we operate. The evolution 

of Danaher — in DBS, our portfolio and our geographic footprint — positions us well for the future. We expect that 

evolution will continue as we grow and strengthen your company.

Thank you for your confidence and support. 

5

H. Lawrence Culp, Jr. 

President and Chief Executive Officer

March 24, 2008

DBS Evolution

The Danaher Business System is a system of values and continuous improvement processes that apply to all parts of our 

organization. The voice of the customer is the starting point for establishing priorities for the business, and DBS is used 

to guide everyday activities to exceed customer expectations. These expectations are defined by quality levels, delivery 

performance, improvements in cost and by our ability to provide innovative products and services.

DBS began in our Jacobs Vehicle Systems business in the late 1980’s. It was there that Danaher became one of the first 

North American companies to utilize the principles of kaizen, the Japanese word for continuous improvement. At that time, 

DBS	was	primarily	focused	on	improving	operations	and	eliminating	waste	on	the	manufacturing	floor.	DBS	has	evolved	to	

encompass our Ideas to Execution processes (I2E), which drive our activities across the company in areas such as research 

and development, sales and marketing.

6

DBS	has	continued	to	evolve	as	our	portfolio	and	geographic	footprint	expand.	From	a	solid	foundation	on	the	shop	floor	and	

now touching every facet of our business and every one of our associates around the world, DBS is who we are and how we 

do what we do. DBS is the culture of Danaher and continues to evolve. 

Hach-Lange Core Revenue Growth vs. Industry Average

Hach-Lange

Industry Average

03 

04 

05 

06 

07 

12%

10%

8%

6%

4%

2%

0%

 
An integral part of the evolution of DBS has been the development and deployment of processes designed to accelerate 

growth. Our Hach-Lange water quality team has a history of delivering revenue growth at twice the rate of the overall 

industry. The Hach-Lange team utilized I2E tools to drive significant efficiencies throughout the selling process through 

the use of continuous hiring models, attractive reward and recognition systems and focused training for each of its sales 

associates. I2E has also helped accelerate the team’s successful expansion around the globe, allowing the company to take 

advantage of significant emerging market opportunities. 

DBS has also evolved to include tools used in engineering and R&D activities. Accelerated Product Development (APD) 

is a DBS tool designed to aid in the development of new products from concept to successful market commercialization. 

Radiometer used APD in the development of its new AQT90 Flex, a new platform for acute care cardiac marker testing, 

which	significantly	expands	Radiometer’s	served	market.	Using	a	cross-functional	project	team,	including	marketing,	R&D	

7

and production, Radiometer significantly reduced development time for AQT90 Flex by 40%. A combination of customer 

visits, focus groups, surveys, advisory teams and associate involvement helped Radiometer ensure that AQT90 Flex met  

the “voice of the customer.”

AQT90 Flex

Portfolio Evolution

Over the past five years at Danaher, we have focused on expanding and strengthening our business portfolio. In 2002, 

Danaher generated total sales of $4.5 billion, and our portfolio included five strategic platforms: Environmental,  

Test & Measurement, Product ID, Motion and Mechanics’ Hand Tools. Today, as a result of solid organic growth and  

a number of successful acquisitions, we have significantly strengthened our portfolio, more than doubled revenues to  

$11 billion and added a sixth strategic platform, Medical Technologies, comprised of businesses with leading positions  

in dental technologies, life sciences and acute care diagnostics. These six platforms now account for more than 85%  

of Danaher’s total revenues. 

One benefit of Danaher’s portfolio evolution is evidenced by the improvements in our gross margins. We have expanded  

our gross margins from approximately 39% in 2002 to more than 47% in 2007. Furthermore, in 2007, more than 60%  

8

of Danaher’s revenues were derived from businesses with gross margins in excess of 50%, as compared to less than  

one-quarter of revenues five years ago. 

We also believe Danaher is a less volatile and less cyclical company today than it was five years ago. About 35%, or  

$4 billion, of Danaher’s 2007 revenues were derived from businesses serving lower volatility end markets, including 

water quality, dental technologies, life sciences and acute care diagnostics. In 2002, approximately 10% of our revenues 

were derived from these end markets. Also, our portfolio evolution has resulted in a significant increase in higher margin 

consumable and after-market revenues. As a result, approximately 50% of Danaher’s total revenues in 2007 are represented 

by consumables, after-market sales and revenues from businesses serving less volatile, less cyclical end markets. 

Total Portfolio Revenues

2002

Process / Environmental Controls

Medical Technologies

Professional Instrumentation

2007

Environmental

Test & 
Measurement

Mechanics’ 
Hand Tools

Product ID

Motion

Environmental

Test & 
Measurement

Medical  
Technologies

Mechanics’ 
Hand Tools

Focused Niche 
Businesses

Tools & Components

Tools & Components

Focused Niche 
Businesses

Product
ID

Motion

Industrial Technologies

Lower Volatility and After-Market Revenues

2002
2003

2007
2007

9

After-Market 
Revenue from 
Other Businesses 
$700M

Water Quality 
$500M

After-Market 
Revenue from 
Other Businesses 
$1.4B

Dental Technologies 
$1.7B

Water Quality 
$1.1B

Life Sciences
$900M

Acute 
Care 
Diagnostics 
$400M

Geographic Evolution

During	the	past	five	years,	Danaher	significantly	expanded	its	global	presence.	We	have	grown	from	a	U.S.-centric	

corporation	into	a	global	enterprise	with	more	than	half	of	revenues	derived	outside	the	U.S.	The	benefits	of	this	 

geographic diversity are numerous. First, it affords stability to our operations, by providing diverse revenue streams  

to help offset economic trends in individual countries. Second, geographic diversity offers the opportunity to access  

new markets for our products and services. 

Furthermore, future growth is dependent in part on our ability to develop products and sales models that target developing 

economies. In 2007, Danaher’s core revenues grew at a double-digit rate in the emerging markets, which now represent 

approximately 15% of Danaher’s sales. This number is expected to continue to grow over time.

Today, Danaher operates more than 200 manufacturing facilities in more than 20 countries around the world, with 

approximately	half	located	outside	of	the	U.S.	In	addition,	Danaher	has	sales	presence	in	more	than	125	countries	 

around the world. 

Danaher’s geographic diversity allows us to draw on the skills of a global workforce, and, where appropriate, capitalize 

on the economic production benefits attributable to low cost manufacturing regions. Over the past five years, we have 

10

significantly expanded our global workforce, which today includes 50,000 associates, over half of whom are domiciled 

outside	the	U.S.	

Increasing Global Revenue

Emerging Markets’ Footprint

Non-U.S. Revenue as  
% of Total Revenue

48%

49%

45%

39%

China* 

1,000

51%

Rest of Asia** 

475

Eastern Europe 

  Middle East/Africa 

200

175

Brazil 

120

Mexico 

110 

India 

80

  03 

04 

05 

06 

07 

Revenue 2007, $ Millions

*Includes in-country and export sales 
**Excludes Japan

 
 
 
 
 
 
11

Global Associates

U.S. Associates

Non-U.S. Associates

 13,000

 18,000

22,000

24,000

26,000

 17,000

 17,000

18,000

21,000

24,000

03 

04 

05 

06 

07 

 
Professional Instrumentation

Environmental

Hach-Lange and Hach Ultra Analytics provide advanced water quality analytical systems 

and solutions for laboratory, industrial and field applications. Trojan UV is a world leader in 

ultraviolet water disinfection systems. ChemTreat is a leading provider of industrial water 

treatment solutions. 

Target Customers: Municipal Drinking Water and Waste Water Facilities, Industrial Plants, 

Environmental Monitoring and Regulatory Agencies

Gilbarco Veeder-Root is a leading global provider of solutions and technologies that combine 

convenience, control and environmental integrity for retail petroleum fueling markets.

Target Customers: Major Oil Companies, Convenience Stores, Retail Fueling Franchises, 

Commercial Fueling, Major Retailers and Supermarkets

12

HQ 40D with IntelliCAL Probes

Environmental Business Highlights

2007 core growth for the Environmental  
platform was 6%, driven by solid demand at 
Hach-Lange	and	Trojan	UV,	and	strength	in	all	 
major geographies. Our acquisition of  
ChemTreat in July 2007 complements our  
current water quality offerings and  
represents a natural adjacency to our  
current water treatment business.

Gilbarco Veeder-Root core revenues grew  
at a low-single digit rate in 2007. During  
the year, the business introduced exciting,  
new point-of-sale products and a content 
management system with the ability to  
conduct local Google® searches, view  
maps and print driving directions at  
our premier fuel dispenser pumps.

Test & Measurement

Fluke Corporation is a world leader in the manufacturing, distribution and service of 

electronic test tools and software. From industrial electronic installation, maintenance and 

service to precision measurement and quality control, Fluke tools help keep business and 

industry around the globe up and running.

Target Customers: Technicians, Commercial and Residential Electricians,  

Engineers, Metrologists

Fluke Networks provides innovative solutions for the testing, monitoring and  

analysis of enterprise and telecommunication networks. 

Target Customers: CIOs, CTOs, Engineers, Technicians and Managers for Networks  

and Telecommunications

Tektronix, acquired in November 2007, is a global leader in test, measurement and 

monitoring products. The company’s products and technologies populate the design centers, 

laboratories and communications networks of global leaders engaged in pushing the 

envelope of information technology and communications.

Target Customers: Engineers and Technicians for the Research & Development, 

Communications, Computer and Semiconductor Industries 

Test & Measurement Business Highlights 

Test & Measurement delivered core revenue growth of 8% in 2007. The acquisition of 
Tektronix in November 2007 doubled the size of the Test & Measurement platform to 
over $2 billion. To date, collaborative efforts between Fluke and Tektronix have begun 
to identify a number of significant opportunities in both product development and 
market penetration for the two businesses.

Ti10 Thermal Imager

13

Medical Technologies

Danaher is a global leader in dental technologies and consumables. KaVo is a 

leading manufacturer of digital dental imaging products, precision dental hand 

pieces, treatment units and diagnostic systems. Sybron Dental Specialties is a 

leading manufacturer of dental consumables and small equipment serving the 

professional dental market globally. Notable dental brands include Gendex;  

Dexis; Pelton & Crane; Ormco; Kerr and Imaging Sciences International.

Target Customers: Dental Professionals

Radiometer is a leading provider of diagnostic equipment focused on critical care 

applications for the measurement of blood gases in hospitals’ central labs and  

point-of-care locations.

Target Customers: Physicians, Hospitals, Point-of-Care Centers

Leica Microsystems is a premier global provider of high precision optical 

instruments, solutions and related consumables for life sciences and medical 

applications, including a comprehensive portfolio of laboratory microscopes, 

pathology diagnostics products and surgical microscopes. Leica Biosystems is a 

leading	supplier	of	workflow	solutions	for	clinical	histopathology	laboratories.

Target Customers: Research Institutions, Pathology Labs, Physicians and Technicians

Medical Technologies  
Business Highlights

2007 core revenues for the platform grew 8%, led 
by strength from Leica Microsystems, which grew 
at a mid-teens rate for the year driven by robust 
microscopy demand. Dental core revenues increased 
at a mid-single digit rate, with sales in dental 
consumables and imaging equipment, as well as our 
minimally invasive product offerings, contributing to 
this performance. Radiometer’s core sales increased 
at a high-single digit rate for the year, a result of 
strong instrument placements globally. 

14

i-CAT 3D Dental Scanner

DataFlex Plus Thermal  
Transfer Overprinter

Industrial Technologies

Product Identification

Danaher’s printing and marking technologies manufactured by Videojet,  

apply codes to more than one trillion products worldwide each year. 

Danaher’s scanning and tracking products currently sort more than half  

of	all	packages	shipped	in	the	United	States.

Target Customers: Food and Beverage, Pharmaceutical, Retail Distribution,  

Product Identification  
Business Highlights 

Product Identification 2007 revenues 
increased 3.5%, while 2007 core  
revenues declined 1%, due primarily  
to	2006	U.S.	Postal	Service	business	 
that did not recur in 2007. 

Mail and Parcel Services

Motion

Danaher Motion	provides	innovative	solutions	combining	flexibility,	 

precision, efficiency and reliability for applications as diverse as robotics, 

wheelchairs, lift trucks, electric vehicles and packaging machines.

Target Customers: Factory Automation, Medical, Factory and Personal Mobility, 

Aerospace and Defense

Focused Niche Businesses: Aerospace and Defense, Sensors and Controls

Motion Business Highlights

Motion is pursuing a number of growth 
opportunities in the Clean Energy market, 
with our custom design capabilities for high 
power motors and drives proving to be very 
attractive for hybrid applications in both 
the aerospace and defense market, as well 
as heavy-duty and specialty vehicles. In 
2007, Motion’s performance continued to be 
adversely impacted by softness in its tech 
end-markets, resulting in core revenues 
declining 1% during the year. 

15

Tools & Components

Mechanics’ Hand Tools

Danaher Tool Group and Matco enjoy a leading share position in the 

U.S.	mechanics’	hand	tool	segment.	Danaher	is	committed	to	delivering	

customer-driven innovation with new products that improve strength, 

speed and access. Notable brands include Sears Craftsman®; Armstrong; 

Matco; Allen; KD-Tools; Holo-Krome; NAPA®; SATA and Lowes®.

Target Customers: Professional, Industrial and Consumer End Users

Focused Niche Businesses: Delta Consolidated Industries, Hennessy 

Industries, Jacobs Chuck Manufacturing Company, Jacobs Vehicle Systems

Mechanics’ Hand Tools  
Business Highlights

For the full year, revenues for Tools and 
Components decreased 1%, primarily 
due to decreased consumer spending 
for our Mechanics’ Hand Tools, as well 
as to regulatory changes affecting our 
Jacobs Vehicle Systems business. Open 
Innovation helped in the launch of  
more than 300 new products in  
Mechanics’ Hand Tools in 2007. 

2007 Form 10-K

Securities And Exchange Commission 
Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-K

(Mark One)
[ X ] 

OR
[    ] 

Annual Report Pursuant To Section 13 Or 15(d) Of The Securities Exchange Act Of 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007

Transition Report Pursuant To Section 13 Or 15(d) Of The Securities Exchange Act Of 1934

For the transition period from __________ to___________ 

Commission File Number: 1-8089

Danaher Corporation

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware 

(State of incorporation) 

59-1995548

(I.R.S.Employer Identification number)

2099 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., 12th Floor, Washington, D.C. 

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) 

20006-1813

(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: 202-828-0850

Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of Each Class  

Common Stock $.01 par value 

Name of Each Exchange On Which Registered

New York Stock Exchange

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

1

None
(Title of Class)

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.      Yes    X _   No___

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.      Yes ___   No   X_ 

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 

during the preceding 12 months and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.      Yes   X    

No___

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the 

best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to 

this Form 10-K.       X _

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company.  

See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Large accelerated filer   X    

Accelerated filer ____ 

Non-accelerated filer ____  Smaller reporting company ____

(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).      Yes ___   No    X  

As of February 15, 2008, the number of shares of Registrant’s common stock outstanding was 318.3 million. The aggregate market value of common shares 

held by non-affiliates of the Registrant on June 29, 2007 was $18.1 billion, based upon the closing price of the Registrant’s common shares as quoted on 

the New York Stock Exchange composite tape on such date. 

 
 
 
 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 

PART I   

Item 1. 

Item 1A. 

Item 1B. 

Item 2. 

Item 3. 

Item 4. 

PART II

Item 5.   

Item 6. 

Item 7. 

Item 7A. 

Item 8. 

Item 9. 

Item 9A. 

Item 9B. 

2

Business  

Risk Factors 

Unresolved Staff Comments 

Properties  

Legal Proceedings  

Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders  

Executive Officers of the Registrant 

Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and  
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Selected Financial Data  

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations  

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk  

Financial Statements and Supplementary Data  

Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure  

Controls and Procedures 

Other Information 

Page

3

15

21

21

21

21

22

24 

25

26

56

57

100

100

100

 
 
 
Information Relating To  
Forward-Looking Statements

Certain  information  included  or  incorporated  by  reference  in 
this  Annual  Report,  in  press  releases,  written  statements  or 
other documents filed with or furnished to the SEC, or in our 
communications  and  discussions  through  webcasts,  phone 
calls, conference calls and other presentations and meetings, 
may be deemed to be “forward-looking statements” within the 
meaning  of  the  federal  securities  laws.  All  statements  other 
than  statements  of  historical  fact  are  statements  that  could 
be  deemed  forward-looking  statements,  including  statements 
regarding: projections of revenue, margins, expenses, tax provi-
sions  (or  reversals  of  tax  provisions),  earnings  or  losses  from 
operations,  cash  flows,  pension  and  benefit  obligations  and 
funding requirements, synergies or other financial items; plans, 
strategies and objectives of management for future operations, 
including statements relating to our stock repurchase program, 
potential  acquisitions,  executive  compensation  and  purchase 
commitments; developments, performance or industry or mar-
ket rankings relating to products or services; future economic 
conditions or performance; the outcome of outstanding claims 
or legal proceedings; assumptions underlying any of the forego-
ing;  and  any  other  statements  that  address  activities,  events 
or developments that Danaher Corporation (“Danaher,” “we,” 
“us,” “our”) intends, expects, projects, believes or anticipates 
will  or  may  occur  in  the  future.  Forward-looking  statements 
may be characterized by terminology such as “believe,” “antici-
pate,”  “should,”  “would,”  “intend,”  “plan,”  “will,”  “expects,” 
“estimates,”  “projects,”  “positioned,”  “strategy,”  and  similar 
expressions. These statements are based on assumptions and 
assessments made by our management in light of their expe-
rience  and  perception  of  historical  trends,  current  conditions, 
expected future developments and other factors they believe to 
be appropriate. These forward-looking statements are subject 
to a number of risks and uncertainties, including but not limited 
to the risks and uncertainties set forth under “Item 1A. Risk Fac-
tors” in this Annual Report. 

Any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future 
performance  and  actual  results,  developments  and  business 
decisions  may  differ  materially  from  those  envisaged  by  such 
forward-looking  statements.  These  forward-looking  statements 
speak only as of the date of the report, press release, statement, 
document,  webcast  or  oral  discussion  in  which  they  are  made. 
We do not assume any obligation and do not intend to update any 
forward-looking statement except as required by law. 

PART I
ITEM 1. BUSINESS

General

We  derive  our  sales  from  the  design,  manufacture  and 
marketing  of  professional,  medical,  industrial  and  consumer 
products,  which  are  typically  characterized  by  strong  brand 
names,  proprietary  technology  and  major  market  positions. 
Our  business  consists  of 
four  segments:  Professional 
Instrumentation, Medical Technologies, Industrial Technologies, 
and Tools & Components. 

 We strive to create shareholder value through:

•	 delivering	sales	growth,	excluding	the	impact	of	acquired	
businesses, in excess of the overall market growth for our 
products and services;

•	 upper	quartile	financial	performance	compared	to	our	peer	

companies; and

•	 upper	 quartile	 cash	 flow	 generation	 from	 operations	

compared to our peer companies.

To accomplish these goals, we use a set of tools and processes, 
known  as  the  DANAHER  BUSINESS  SYSTEM  (“DBS”),  which 
are designed to continuously improve business performance in 
critical areas of quality, delivery, cost and innovation. Within the 
DBS framework, we also pursue a number of ongoing strategic 
initiatives  intended  to  improve  our  operational  performance, 
including  global  sourcing  of  materials  and  services  and 
innovative  product  development.  We  also  acquire  businesses 
that we believe can help us achieve the objectives described 
above, and believe that many acquisition opportunities remain 
available within our target markets. We will acquire businesses 
when they strategically fit with existing operations or when they 
are of such a nature and size as to establish a new strategic line 
of business. The extent to which appropriate acquisitions are 
made and effectively integrated can affect our overall growth 
and operating results. We also continually assess the strategic 
fit of our existing businesses and may divest businesses that are 
not deemed to strategically fit with our ongoing operations or 
are not achieving the desired return on investment.

Danaher Corporation, originally DMG, Inc., was organized in 1969 
as a Massachusetts real estate investment trust. In 1978 it was 

3

reorganized as a Florida corporation under the name Diversified 
Mortgage Investors, Inc. (“DMI”) which in a second reorganization 
in 1980 became a subsidiary of a newly created holding company 
named DMG, Inc. We adopted the name Danaher in 1984 and 
were  reincorporated  as  a  Delaware  corporation  following  the 
1986 annual meeting of our shareholders.

Operating Segments

The table below describes the percentage of our total annual 
revenues attributable to each of our four segments over each 
of the last three fiscal years:

For the Year Ended December 31

Segment

2007

2006

2005

Professional Instrumentation

Medical Technologies

Industrial Technologies

Tools & Components

32%

27%

29%

12%

31%

23%

32%

14%

33%

15%

36%

16%

Sales in 2007 by geographic destination were: North America, 
49%;  Europe,  31%;  Asia,  13%;  and  other  regions,  7%.  For 
additional  information  regarding  our  segments  and  sales 
by  geography,  please  refer  to  Note  16  in  the  Consolidated 
Financial Statements included in this Annual Report. 

4

Professional Instrumentation

Businesses in our Professional Instrumentation segment offer 
professional  and  technical  customers  various  products  and 
services for use in the performance of their work. Professional 
Instrumentation encompasses two strategic lines of business: 
environmental and test and measurement. Sales for this segment 
in 2007 by geographic destination were: North America, 45%; 
Europe, 31%; Asia, 15%; and other regions, 9%.

Environmental.  The  environmental  businesses  serve  two  main 
markets: water quality and retail/commercial petroleum. We entered 
the water quality sector in 1996 through the acquisition of American 
Sigma and have enhanced our geographical coverage and product 
and service breadth through subsequent acquisitions, including Dr. 
Lange in 1998, Hach Company in 1999, Viridor Instrumentation in 
2002, Trojan Technologies Inc. in 2004 and ChemTreat, Inc. in 2007. 
Today, we are a worldwide leader in the water quality sector. Our 
water quality operations design, manufacture and market:

•	 a	wide	range	of	analytical	instruments,	related	consumables,	
and associated services that detect and measure chemical, 
physical, and microbiological parameters in drinking water, 
wastewater, groundwater, and ultrapure water;

•	 ultraviolet	disinfection	systems;	and	
•	 industrial	 water	 treatment	 solutions,	 including	 chemical	
intended 
treatment  solutions  and  analytical  services 
to  address  corrosion,  scaling  and  biological  growth 
problems  in  boiler,  cooling  water  and  industrial  waste 
water  applications.  We  entered  this  market  through  our 
acquisition of ChemTreat in July 2007.

Typical users of our analytical instruments, related consumables 
and  associated  services,  and  our  ultraviolet  disinfection 
systems,  include  municipal  drinking  water  and  wastewater 
treatment  plants,  industrial  process  water  and  wastewater 
treatment facilities, and third-party testing laboratories. Typical 
users  of  our  industrial  water  treatment  solutions  include 
industrial  plants  in  a  wide  range  of  industries.  Customers  in 
these industries choose suppliers based on a number of factors 
including the customer’s existing supplier relationships, product 
performance and ease of use, and the comprehensiveness of the 
supplier’s product offering and the other factors described under 
“-Competition.” Our water quality business provides products 
under a variety of well-known brands, including HACH, HACH/
LANGE,  HACH  ULTRA  ANALYTICS,  TROJAN  TECHNOLOGIES 
and CHEMTREAT. Manufacturing facilities are located in North 
America, Europe, and Asia. Sales are generally made through 
independent  representatives, 
our  direct  sales  personnel, 
independent distributors and e-commerce.

We have participated in the retail/commercial petroleum market 
since the mid-1980s through our Veeder-Root business, and have 
enhanced  our  geographic  coverage  and  product  and  service 
breadth  through  various  acquisitions  including  Red  Jacket  in 
2001 and Gilbarco in 2002. Today, we are a leading worldwide 
provider  of  products  and  services  for  the  retail/commercial 
petroleum market. Through the Gilbarco Veeder-Root business, 
we  design,  manufacture,  and  market  a  wide  range  of  retail/
commercial petroleum products and services, including:

•	 monitoring	and	leak	detection	systems;	
•	 vapor	recovery	equipment;
•	 fuel	dispensers;
•	 point-of-sale	and	merchandising	systems;
•	 submersible	turbine	pumps;	and

•	 remote	monitoring	and	outsourced	fuel	management	
services, including compliance services, fuel system 
maintenance,  and  inventory  planning  and  supply 
chain support. 

Typical  users  of  these  products  include  independent  and 
company-owned  retail  petroleum  stations,  high-volume 
retailers, convenience stores, and commercial vehicle fleets. 
Customers  in  this  industry  choose  suppliers  based  on  a 
number  of  factors  including  product  features,  performance 
and  functionality,  the  supplier’s  geographical  coverage  and 
the  other  factors  described  under  “—Competition.”  We 
market  our  retail/commercial  petroleum  products  under 
a  variety  of  brands,  including  GILBARCO,  VEEDER-ROOT, 
and  RED  JACKET.  Manufacturing  facilities  are  located  in 
North America, Europe, Asia and South America. Sales are 
generally  made  through  independent  distributors  and  our 
direct sales personnel.

Test and Measurement. Our test and measurement business was 
created in 1998 through the acquisition of Fluke Corporation, 
and  has  since  been  supplemented  by  the  acquisitions  of  a 
number  of  additional  test  and  measurement  businesses.  We 
doubled the size of the test and measurement business with 
the acquisition of Tektronix, Inc. in November 2007. Our test and 
measurement business consists of four primary businesses.

The  Fluke  businesses  design,  manufacture,  and  market  a 
variety of compact professional test tools, as well as calibration 
equipment, for electrical, industrial, electronic, and calibration 
applications.  These  test  products  measure  voltage,  current, 
resistance,  power  quality,  frequency,  pressure,  temperature 
and  air  quality.  Typical  users  of  these  products  include 
electrical  engineers,  electricians,  electronic 
technicians, 
medical technicians, and industrial maintenance professionals. 
Products in this business are marketed under a variety of brands, 
including  FLUKE,  RAYTEK,  and  FLUKE  BIOMEDICAL.  Sales  in 
the  Fluke  business  are  generally  made  through  independent 
distributors as well as direct sales personnel. 

The Fluke Networks business provides software and hardware 
products used for the testing, monitoring, and analysis of local 
and wide area (“enterprise”) networks and the fiber and copper 
infrastructure  of  those  networks.  In  2006,  Fluke  Networks 
expanded its offerings in the area of network monitoring and 
application  performance  management  solutions  through  the 

acquisition  of  Visual  Networks,  Inc.  Typical  users  of  these 
products include computer network engineers and technicians. 
Products  in  this  business  are  primarily  marketed  under  the 
FLUKE NETWORKS brand. Sales in the Fluke Networks business 
are generally made through direct sales personnel as well as 
independent distributors.

The  Tektronix  Instruments  business  offers  general  purpose 
test products as well as a variety of video test, measurement 
and monitoring products. Tektronix’s general purpose products, 
including  oscilloscopes,  logic  analyzers,  signal  sources  and 
spectrum analyzers, are used to capture, display and analyze 
streams of electrical data. Typical users include research and 
development engineers who use these products to design, de-
bug  and  manufacture  electronic  components,  subassemblies 
and end-products in a wide variety of industries, including the 
communications,  computer,  consumer  electronics,  education, 
military/aerospace  and  semiconductor  industries.  Tektronix’s 
video  test  products  include  waveform  monitors,  video  signal 
generators,  compressed  digital  video  test  products  and 
other  test  and  measurement  equipment  used  to  help  ensure 
delivery  of  the  best  possible  video  experience  to  the  viewer. 
Typical  users  of  these  products  include  video  equipment 
manufacturers,  content  developers  and  traditional  television 
broadcasters.  Products  in  this  business  are  marketed  under 
the  TEKTRONIX  and  MAXTEK  brands.  Sales  in  the  Tektronix 
business are generally made through direct sales personnel as 
well as independent distributors and resellers. 

The  Tektronix  Communications  business  offers  network 
management  solutions,  network  diagnostic  equipment 
and  related  support  services  for  both  fixed  and  mobile 
telecommunications  networks.  Network  management  tools 
continuously manage network performance and help optimize 
the  service  performance  of  the  communications  network. 
Network  diagnostic  equipment  is  used  to  test  and  monitor 
telecommunications networks. Typical users of these products 
include telecommunication network operators and technicians. 
Products in this business are marketed under the TEKTRONIX 
brand.  Sales  in  the  Tektronix  Communications  business  are 
generally  made  through  direct  sales  personnel  as  well  as 
independent distributors and resellers. 

Test  and  measurement  business  manufacturing  facilities  are 
located in North America, Europe, and Asia. All of our test and 
measurement  businesses  are  leaders  in  their  served  market 

5

segments.  The  test  and  measurement  industry  continues  to 
be  very  competitive,  both  in  the  United  States  and  abroad. 
We  face  competition  from  companies  who  compete  with 
us  in  multiple  product  categories  and  from  companies  who 
compete with us in specialized areas of test and measurement. 
Competition in the Fluke businesses is based on a number of 
factors,  including  the  performance,  ruggedness,  ease  of  use, 
ergonomics and aesthetics of the product and the other factors 
described under “—Competition.” Competition in the Tektronix 
businesses  is  also  based  on  a  number  of  factors,  including 
product  performance,  technology,  customer  service,  product 
availability  and  price  as  well  as  the  other  factors  described 
under “—Competition.” 

Typical users of these products include dentists, orthodontists, 
endodontists,  oral  surgeons,  dental  technicians,  and  other 
oral health professionals. Dental professionals choose dental 
products  based  on  a  number  of  factors,  including  product 
performance,  the  product’s  capacity  to  enhance  productivity 
and  the  other  factors  described  under  “--Competition.”  Our 
dental  products  are  marketed  primarily  under  the  KAVO, 
GENDEX, 
INTERNATIONAL,  PELTON 
&  CRANE,  DEXIS,  ORMCO,  KERR  and  TOTAL  CARE  brands.  
Manufacturing facilities are located in Europe, North America, 
Canada,  Mexico  and  South  America.  Sales  are  generally 
made through independent distributors, with the exception of 
orthodontic products which are generally sold direct.

IMAGING  SCIENCES 

6

Medical Technologies

Our  Medical  Technologies  segment  offers  dentists,  other 
doctors  and  hospital,  research  and  scientific  professionals 
various products and services that are used in connection with 
the performance of their work. Sales for this segment in 2007 
by geographic destination were: North America, 37%; Europe, 
41%; Asia, 14%; and other regions, 8%.

We entered the medical technologies line of business in 2004 
through  the  acquisitions  of  Kaltenbach  &  Voigt  GmbH  &  Co 
KG  (KaVo),  the  Gendex  business  of  Dentsply  International 
Inc., and Radiometer A/S. We have subsequently added to the 
medical  technologies  business  through  various  acquisitions, 
most notably the acquisitions of Leica Microsystems in 2005 
and Sybron Dental Specialties and Vision Systems Limited in 
2006. The medical technologies businesses serve three main 
markets:  dental  products,  acute  care  diagnostics,  and  life 
sciences instrumentation. 

Dental Products. We are a leading worldwide provider of dental 
products.  Through  our  dental  products  businesses  we  design, 
manufacture and market a variety of dental products including:

•	 air	and	electric	handpieces;	
•	 treatment	units;
•	 digital	imaging	and	other	visualization	and	 

magnification systems;

•	 impression,	bonding	and	restorative	materials;
•	 orthodontic	alignment	brackets	and	systems;
•	 endodontic	systems	and	related	consumables;	and
•	 infection	control	products.

Acute  Care  Diagnostics.  Our  acute  care  diagnostics  business 
was created in 2004 through the acquisition of Radiometer and 
has since been supplemented by two additional acquisitions. 
Our  acute  care  diagnostics  business  is  a  leading  worldwide 
provider  of  blood  gas  analysis  instruments  and  related 
consumables  and  services.  Sold  under  the  RADIOMETER 
brand, these instruments are used to measure blood gases and 
related  acute  care  parameters.  Typical  users  of  Radiometer 
products  include  hospital  central  laboratories,  intensive  care 
units,  hospital  operating  rooms,  and  hospital  emergency 
rooms.  Customers  in  this  industry  select  products  based  on 
a number of factors, including the accuracy and speed of the 
product, the scope of tests that can be performed, the product’s 
ability to enhance productivity and the other factors described 
under  “—Competition.”  Manufacturing  facilities  are  located 
in  Europe  and  North  America,  and  sales  are  made  primarily 
through our direct sales personnel and through distributors in 
some countries. 

life 

Sciences 

Life 
sciences 
Instrumentation.  Our 
instrumentation  business  was  created  in  2005  through  the 
acquisition  of  Leica  Microsystems  and  was  expanded  in 
2006  with  the  acquisition  of  Vision  Systems  Limited.  Our 
Leica  business  is  a  leading  global  provider  of  professional 
microscopes  designed  to  manipulate,  preserve  and  capture 
images of, and enhance the user’s visualization of, microscopic 
structures. Our Leica and Vision businesses are also a leading 
global  provider  of  pathology  instrumentation  and  associated 
consumables, providing a complete line of instruments used in 
the preparation of tissue samples for examination by medical 
and research pathologists. 

Our life sciences products include:

•	 optical	and	laser	scanning	microscopes;
•	 automated	specimen	preparation	instruments	and	 

related reagents; 

•	 pathology	diagnostic	tests,	including	cancer	 

diagnostics; and

•	 surgical	and	other	stereo	microscopes.

Typical  users  of  our  products  include  research,  medical  and 
surgical  professionals  operating  in  research  and  pathology 
laboratories, academic settings and surgical theaters. Customers 
in this industry select products based on a number of factors, 
including product performance and ergonomics, the product’s 
capacity to enhance productivity, the comprehensiveness of the 
related reagent portfolio and the other factors described under 
“—Competition.” We generally market our products under the 
LEICA  brand.  Manufacturing  facilities  are  located  in  Europe, 
Australia, Asia and the United States. The businesses sell to 
customers through a combination of our direct sales personnel, 
independent representatives and independent distributors.

Industrial Technologies

Businesses in our Industrial Technologies segment manufacture 
products  and  sub-systems  that  are  typically  incorporated 
by  customers  and  systems  integrators  into  production  and 
packaging  lines  and  by  original  equipment  manufacturers 
(OEMs)  into  various  end-products  and  systems.  Many  of  the 
businesses  also  provide  services  to  support  these  products, 
including  helping  customers  install  and  service  the  products. 
As of December 31, 2007, our Industrial Technologies segment 
encompassed  two  strategic  lines  of  business,  motion  and 
product  identification,  and  two  focused  niche  businesses, 
aerospace  and  defense,  and  sensors  and  controls.  Sales  for 
this segment in 2007 by geographic destination were: United 
States, 50%; Europe, 34%; Asia, 11%; and other regions, 5%.

Product  Identification.  We  entered  the  product  identification 
market  through  the  acquisition  of  Videojet  in  2002,  and  have 
expanded our product and geographic coverage through various 
subsequent  acquisitions,  including  the  acquisitions  of  Willett 
International Limited and Accu-Sort Systems Inc. in 2003 and 
Linx  Printing  Technologies  PLC  in  January  2005.  We  are  a 
leader  in  our  served  product  identification  market  segments. 
Our  businesses  design,  manufacture,  and  market  a  variety 

of  equipment  used  to  print  and  read  bar  codes,  date  codes, 
lot  codes,  and  other  information  on  primary  and  secondary 
packaging.  Our  products  are  also  used  in  certain  high-speed 
printing applications. Typical users of these products include food 
and  beverage  manufacturers,  pharmaceutical  manufacturers, 
retailers,  package  and  parcel  delivery  companies,  the  United 
States  Postal  Service  and  commercial  printing  and  mailing 
operations. Customers in this industry choose suppliers based 
on a number of factors, including printer speed and accuracy, 
equipment uptime and reliable operation without interruption, 
ease  of  maintenance,  service  coverage  and  the  other  factors 
described  under  “—Competition.”  Our  product  identification 
products  are  marketed  under  a  variety  of  brands,  including 
VIDEOJET,  ACCU-SORT,  WILLETT,  ZIPHER,  ALLTEC  and  LINX. 
Manufacturing facilities are located in the United States, Europe, 
South America, and Asia. Sales are generally made through our 
direct sales personnel and independent distributors.

Motion.  We  entered  the  motion  control  industry  through  the 
acquisition  of  Pacific  Scientific  Company  in  1998,  and  have 
subsequently  expanded  our  product  and  geographic  breadth 
with  additional  acquisitions,  including  American  Precision 
Industries, Kollmorgen Corporation and the motion businesses 
of Warner Electric Company in 2000, and Thomson Industries in 
2002. We are currently one of the leading worldwide providers 
of precision motion control equipment. Our businesses provide 
a wide range of products including:

•	 standard	and	custom	motors;	
•	 drives;	
•	 controls;	and
•	 mechanical	components	(such	as	ball	screws,	linear	
bearings, clutches/brakes, and linear actuators)

These  products  are  sold  in  various  precision  motion  markets 
such  as  packaging  equipment,  medical  equipment,  robotics, 
circuit  board  assembly  equipment,  elevators,  and  electric 
vehicles,  such  as  lift  trucks.  Customers  are  typically  systems 
integrators who use our products in production and packaging 
lines and OEMs that integrate our products into their machines 
and  systems.  Customers  in  this  industry  choose  suppliers 
based  on  a  number  of  factors,  including  price,  product 
performance, the comprehensiveness of the supplier’s product 
offering,  the  geographical  coverage  offered  by  the  supplier 
and  the  other  factors  described  under  “—Competition.”  Our 
motion  products  are  marketed  under  a  variety  of  brands, 

7

including KOLLMORGEN, THOMSON, DOVER, PORTESCAP and 
PACIFIC  SCIENTIFIC.  Manufacturing  facilities  are  located  in 
the United States, Europe, Latin America, and Asia. Sales are 
generally made through our direct sales personnel and through 
independent distributors.

Aerospace and Defense. Our aerospace and defense business 
designs,  manufactures,  and  markets  a  variety  of  aircraft  and 
defense equipment, including:

•	 smoke	detection	and	fire	suppression	systems;	
•	 energetic	material	systems;	
•	 electronic	security	systems;	
•	 linear	actuators;
•	 electrical	power	generation	systems;	and
•	 submarine	periscopes	and	related	sensors.

These product lines came principally from the acquisitions of 
Pacific Scientific in 1998 and Kollmorgen in 2000 and have been 
supplemented  by  several  subsequent  acquisitions.  Typical 
users  of  these  products  include  commercial  and  business 
aircraft manufacturers as well as defense systems integrators 
and  prime  contractors.  Customers  in  this  industry  choose 
suppliers based on a number of factors, including the supplier’s 
experience with the particular technology or application in the 
aerospace  and  defense  industry,  product  reliability  and  the 
other factors described under “—Competition.” Our aerospace 
and defense products are marketed under a variety of brands, 
including the PACIFIC SCIENTIFIC, SUNBANK, SECURAPLANE, 
KOLLMORGEN  ELECTRO-OPTICAL,  ARTUS,  CALZONI  and 
OECO  brands.  Sales  are  generally  made  through  our  direct 
sales personnel.

Sensors  &  Controls.  Our  sensors  &  controls  products  include 
instruments that measure and control discrete manufacturing 
variables such as temperature,  position, quantity,  level,  flow, 
and  time.  Users  of  these  products  span  a  wide  variety  of 
manufacturing  markets.  Certain  businesses  included  in  this 
group also make and sell instruments, controls and monitoring 
systems  used  by  the  electric  utility  industry  to  monitor  their 
transmission  and  distribution  systems.  These  products  are 
marketed  under  a  variety  of  brands,  including  DYNAPAR, 
HENGSTLER,  PARTLOW,  PREDYNE,  WEST,  NAMCO,  GEMS 
SENSORS,  SETRA,  QUALITROL  and  HATHAWAY.  Sales  are 
generally  made  through  our  direct  sales  personnel  and 
independent distributors.

Manufacturing facilities of our Industrial Technologies focused 
niche  businesses  are  located  in  the  United  States,  Latin 
America, Europe, and Asia.

Tools & Components

As of December 31, 2007, our Tools & Components segment 
encompassed one strategic line of business, mechanics’ hand 
tools, and four focused niche businesses: Delta Consolidated 
Industries, Hennessy Industries, Jacobs Chuck Manufacturing 
Company and Jacobs Vehicle Systems. Sales for this segment 
in 2007 by geographic destination were: United States, 83%; 
Europe, 5%; Asia, 7%; and other regions, 5%. 

Mechanics’ Hand Tools. The mechanics’ hand tools business 
consists  of  several  companies  that  do  business  as  the 
Danaher  Tool  Group  (“DTG”),  and  Matco  Tools  (“Matco”). 
DTG  is  one  of  the  largest  worldwide  producers  of  general 
purpose  mechanics’  hand  tools,  primarily  ratchets,  sockets, 
and  wrenches,  and  specialized  automotive  service  tools  for 
the professional and “do-it-yourself” markets. DTG has been 
the  principal  manufacturer  of  Sears  Holdings  Corporation’s 
CRAFTSMAN line of mechanics’ hand tools for over 65 years. 
Matco  manufactures  and  distributes  professional  tools, 
toolboxes  and  automotive  equipment,  through  independent 
mobile  distributors,  who  sell  primarily  to  professional 
mechanics  under  the  MATCO  brand.  Professional  and  do-it-
yourself  mechanics  typically  select  tools  based  on  quality, 
brand, price, relevant innovative features and the other factors 
described under “—Competition.”

We  market  tool  products  under  our  own  brand  names  and 
also  private-label  products  for  certain  customers.  The  hand 
tools  that  we  sell  into  the  industrial  and  consumer  markets 
are branded under the ARMSTRONG, ALLEN, GEARWRENCH 
and  SATA  names,  while  service  tools  for  the  automotive 
markets  are  branded  under  the  K-D  TOOLS  name.  Typical 
users  of  DTG  products  include  professional  automotive  and 
industrial  mechanics  as  well  as  “do-it-yourself”  consumers. 
Manufacturing  facilities  are  located  in  the  United  States 
and  Asia.  Sales  are  generally  made  through  independent 
distributors and retailers.

Delta Consolidated Industries. Delta is a leading manufacturer 
of  automotive  truckboxes  and  industrial  gang  boxes,  which 
it  sells  primarily  under  the  DELTA  and  JOBOX  brands. 

8

These  products  are  used  by  both  commercial  users,  such  as 
contractors,  and  individual  consumers.  Sales  are  generally 
made through independent distributors and retailers. 

Hennessy  Industries.  Hennessy  is  a  leading  North  American 
full-line  wheel  service  equipment  manufacturer,  providing 
brake lathes, vehicle lifts, tire changers, wheel balancers, and 
wheel weights under the AMMCO, BADA, and COATS brands. 
Typical users of these products are automotive tire and repair 
shops.  Sales  are  generally  made  through  our  direct  sales 
personnel,  independent  distributors,  retailers,  and  original 
equipment manufacturers.

Jacobs  Chuck  Manufacturing  Company.  Jacobs  designs, 
manufactures,  and  markets  chucks  and  precision  tool  and 
workholders,  primarily  for  the  portable  power  tool  industry, 
under the JACOBS brand. Founded by the inventor of the three-
jaw  drill  chuck,  Jacobs  maintains  a  worldwide  leadership 
position 
in  drill  chucks.  Customers  are  primarily  major 
manufacturers of portable power tools, and sales are typically 
made through our direct sales personnel. 

Jacobs Vehicle Systems (“JVS”). JVS is a leading worldwide 
supplier  of  supplemental  braking  systems  for  commercial 
vehicles,  selling  JAKE  BRAKE  brand  engine  retarders  for 
class  6  through  8  vehicles  and  bleeder  and  exhaust  brakes 
for class 2 through 7 vehicles. Customers are primarily major 
manufacturers  of  class  2  through  class  8  vehicles,  and  sales 
are typically made through our direct sales personnel. 

Manufacturing  facilities  of  our  Tools  &  Components  focused 
niche  businesses  are  located  in  the  United  States  and  Asia. 

The following discussions of Materials, Intellectual Property, 
Competition, Seasonal Nature of Business, Backlog, Employee 
Relations, Research and Development, Government Contracts, 
International  Operations,  Major 
Regulatory  Matters, 
Customers and Other Matters include information common to 
all of our segments.

Materials

Our  manufacturing  operations  employ  a  wide  variety  of 
raw  materials,  including  steel,  copper,  cast  iron,  electronic 
components,  aluminum,  plastics  and  other  petroleum-based 
products.  We  purchase  raw  materials  from  a  large  number  of 
independent  sources  around  the  world.  No  single  supplier  is 
material, although for some of the components that we use that 
require particular specifications there may be a limited number of 
suppliers that can readily provide such components. There have 
been no raw materials shortages that have had a material adverse 
impact on our business as a whole. Market forces have driven 
significant increases in the costs of steel and petroleum-based 
products over the last three years, and the costs of non-ferrous 
metals  have  also  generally  increased  over  the  last  eighteen 
months. We have passed certain of these cost increases on to 
customers in the form of price increases. For a further discussion 
of risks related to the materials and components required for our 
operations, please refer to “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”

Intellectual Property

We  own  numerous  patents,  trademarks,  copyrights,  trade 
secrets and licenses to intellectual property owned by others. 
Although  in  aggregate  our  intellectual  property  is  important 
to  our  operations,  we  do  not  consider  any  single  patent  or 
trademark to be of material importance to any segment or to 
the business as a whole. From time to time, however, we do 
engage in litigation to protect our intellectual property. For a 
discussion of risks related to our intellectual property, please 
refer  to  “Item  1A.  Risk  Factors.”  All  capitalized  brands  and 
product  names  throughout  this  document  are  trademarks 
owned by, or licensed to, Danaher or its subsidiaries.

9

Competition

Backlog

Although  our  businesses  generally  operate 
in  highly 
competitive  markets,  our  competitive  position  cannot  be 
determined  accurately  in  the  aggregate  or  by  segment  since 
none  of  our  competitors  offer  all  of  the  same  product  lines 
or  serve  all  of  the  same  markets  as  we  do.  Because  of  the 
diversity of the products we sell and the variety of markets we 
serve, we encounter a wide variety of competitors, including 
well-established  regional  or  specialized  competitors,  as  well 
as larger companies or divisions of larger companies that have 
greater  sales,  marketing,  research,  and  financial  resources 
than we do. The number of competitors varies by product line. 
Our  management  believes  that  we  have  a  market  leadership 
position  in  many  of  the  markets  served.  Key  competitive 
factors typically include the specific factors noted above with 
respect to each particular business, as well as price, quality, 
delivery  speed,  service  and  support,  innovation,  distribution 
network, and brand name. For a discussion of risks related to 
competition, please refer to “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”

The table below provides the unfulfilled orders attributable to each 
of our four segments as of the end of each year ($ in millions):

As of December 31

Segment

Professional Instrumentation

Medical Technologies

Industrial Technologies

Tools & Components

2007

$ 597

235

811

66

2006

$ 252

192

719

65

We expect that a large majority of unfilled orders will be delivered 
to  customers  within  3  to  4  months.  Given  the  relatively  short 
delivery periods and rapid inventory turnover that are characteristic 
of most of our products and the shortening of product life cycles, 
we  believe  that  backlog  is  indicative  of  short-term  revenue 
performance but not necessarily a reliable indicator of medium or 
long-term performance. 

Seasonal Nature of Business

Employee Relations

At  December  31,  2007,  we  employed  approximately  50,000 
persons, of which approximately 24,000 were employed in the 
United States. Of these United States employees, approximately 
2,500  were  hourly-rated  unionized  employees.  We  also  have 
government-mandated  collective  bargaining  arrangements  or 
union  contracts  in  other  countries.  Though  we  consider  our 
labor relations to be satisfactory, we are subject to potential 
union  campaigns,  work  stoppages,  union  negotiations  and 
other potential labor disputes.

10

General economic conditions have an impact on our business 
and financial results, and certain of our businesses experience 
seasonal  and  other  trends  related  to  the  industries  and  end-
markets that they serve. For example, European sales are often 
weaker in the summer months, medical and capital equipment 
sales are often stronger in the fourth calendar quarter, sales 
to  original  equipment  manufacturers  are  often  stronger 
immediately  preceding  and  following  the  launch  of  new 
products, and sales to the United States government are often 
stronger in the third calendar quarter. However, as a whole, we 
are not subject to material seasonality.

Working Capital

We maintain an adequate level of working capital to support 
our business needs. There are no unusual industry practices or 
requirements relating to working capital items.

 
Research and Development

The  table  below  describes  our  research  and  development 

expenditures over each of the last three years, by segment and 

in the aggregate ($ in millions): 

For the Year Ended December 31

Segment

2007

2006

2005

Professional Instrumentation **

$ 272

$ 174

$ 157

Medical Technologies

Industrial Technologies

Tools & Components

Total

168

150

11

123

133

10

75

130

12

other  factors.  We  are  also  subject  to  investigation  and  audit 
for  compliance  with  the  requirements  governing  government 
contracts, 
including  requirements  related  to  procurement 
integrity, export control, employment practices, the accuracy of 
records and the recording of costs. Our failure to comply with 
these requirements might result in suspension of these contracts, 
criminal or civil sanctions, administrative penalties or suspension 
or  debarment  from  government  contracting  or  subcontracting 
for a period of time. For a further discussion of risks related to 
compliance  with  government  contracting  requirements,  please 
refer to “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”

$ 601

$ 440

$ 374

Regulatory Matters

**  Included  in  2007  research  and  development  expenses  for 

Environmental, Health & Safety

the Professional Instrumentation segment is a charge for $60 

million related to acquired in-process research and development 

in connection with the Tektronix acquisition.

We conduct research and development activities for the purpose 

of  developing  new  products,  enhancing  the  functionality, 

effectiveness, ease of use and reliability of our existing products 

and expanding the applications for which uses of our products are 

appropriate. We anticipate that we will continue to make significant 

expenditures for research and development as we seek to provide 

a continuing flow of innovative products to maintain and improve 

our competitive position. For a discussion of the risks related to 

the need to develop and commercialize new products and product 

enhancements, please refer to “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”

Government Contracts

Although  the  substantial  majority  of  our  revenue  in  2007  was 

from  customers  other  than  governmental  entities,  we  have 

agreements relating to the sale of products to government entities, 

primarily  involving  products  in  the  aerospace  and  defense, 

product  identification,  water  quality  and  motion  businesses. 

As a result, we are subject to various statutes and regulations 

that  apply  to  companies  doing  business  with  the  government. 

The laws governing government contracts differ from the laws 

governing  private  contracts.  For  example,  many  government 

contracts contain pricing and other terms and conditions that are 

not applicable to private contracts. Our agreements relating to 

the sale of products to government entities may be subject to 

termination, reduction or modification in the event of changes 

in government requirements, reductions in federal spending and 

Certain  of  our  operations  are  subject  to  environmental  laws 
and  regulations  in  the  jurisdictions  in  which  they  operate, 
which impose limitations on the discharge of pollutants into the 
ground, air and water and establish standards for the generation, 
treatment,  use,  storage  and  disposal  of  solid  and  hazardous 
wastes.  We  must  also  comply  with  various  health  and  safety 
regulations in both the United States and abroad in connection 
with our operations. Compliance with these laws and regulations 
has not had and, based on current information and the applicable 
laws and regulations currently in effect, is not expected to have a 
material adverse effect on our capital expenditures, earnings or 
competitive position, and we do not anticipate material capital 
expenditures for environmental control facilities. For a discussion 
of risks related to compliance with environmental and health and 
safety laws, please refer to “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”

In addition to environmental compliance costs, we from time to 
time incur costs related to alleged damages associated with past 
or current waste disposal practices or other hazardous materials 
handling  practices.  For  example,  generators  of  hazardous 
substances  found  in  disposal  sites  at  which  environmental 
problems  are  alleged  to  exist,  as  well  as  the  owners  of  those 
sites and certain other classes of persons, are subject to claims 
brought  by  state  and  federal  regulatory  agencies  pursuant  to 
statutory authority. We have received notification from the U.S. 
Environmental  Protection  Agency,  and  from  state  and  non-U.S. 
environmental  agencies,  that  conditions  at  a  number  of  sites 
where we and others disposed of hazardous wastes require clean-
up and other possible remedial action, including sites where we 
have  been  identified  as  a  potentially  responsible  party  under 
federal and state environmental laws and regulations. We have 

11

Medical Devices 

Certain of our products are medical devices that are subject to 
regulation by the United States Food and Drug Administration 
(the  “FDA”)  and  by  the  counterpart  agencies  of  the  non-U.S. 
countries where our products are sold. Some of the regulatory 
requirements  of  these  foreign  countries  are  different  than 
those applicable in the United States. 

Pursuant  to  the  Federal  Food,  Drug,  and  Cosmetic  Act  (the 
“FDCA”),  the  FDA  regulates  virtually  all  phases  of  the 
manufacture, sale, and distribution of medical devices, including 
their  introduction  into  interstate  commerce,  manufacture, 
advertising,  labeling,  packaging,  marketing,  distribution  and 
record  keeping.  Pursuant  to  the  FDCA  and  FDA  regulations, 
certain  facilities  of  our  operating  subsidiaries  are  registered 
with the FDA as medical device manufacturing establishments. 
The FDA, as well as our ISO Notified Bodies, regularly inspect 
our registered and/or certified facilities. 

We sell both Class I and Class II medical devices. A medical 
device,  whether  exempt  from,  or  cleared  pursuant  to,  the 
premarket  notification  requirements  of  the  FDCA,  or  cleared 
pursuant  to  a  premarket  approval  application,  is  subject  to 
ongoing regulatory oversight by the FDA to ensure compliance 
with  regulatory  requirements,  including,  but  not  limited  to, 
product labeling requirements and limitations, including those 
related  to  promotion  and  marketing  efforts,  current  good 
manufacturing  practices  and  quality  system  requirements, 
record keeping, and medical device (adverse event) reporting. 
For a discussion of risks related to our regulation by the FDA 
and  counterpart  agencies  of  other  countries,  please  refer  to 
“Item 1A. Risk Factors.” 

In addition, certain of our products utilize radioactive material. 
We  are  subject  to  federal,  state  and  local  regulations 
governing the management, storage, handling and disposal of 
these materials.

projects underway at several current and former manufacturing 
facilities,  in  both  the  United  States  and  abroad,  to  investigate 
and remediate environmental contamination resulting from past 
operations. We are also from time to time party to personal injury 
or other claims brought by private parties alleging injury due to 
the presence of or exposure to hazardous substances.

We have made a provision for environmental remediation and 
environmental-related  personal  injury  claims  with  respect 
to  sites  owned  or  formerly  owned  by  the  Company  and  its 
subsidiaries. We generally make an assessment of the costs 
involved  for  our  remediation  efforts  based  on  environmental 
studies  as  well  as  our  prior  experience  with  similar  sites.  If 
the  Company  determines  that  potential  remediation  liability 
for  properties  currently  or  previously  owned  is  probable  and 
reasonably  estimable,  it  accrues  the  total  estimated  costs, 
including investigation and remediation costs, associated with 
the  site.  We  also  estimate  our  exposure  for  environmental-
related  personal  injury  claims  and  accrue  for  this  estimated 
liability  as  such  claims  become  known.  While  we  actively 
pursue insurance recoveries as well as recoveries from other 
potentially  responsible  parties,  we  do  not  recognize  any 
insurance  recoveries  for  environmental  liability  claims  until 
realization is deemed probable and reasonably estimable. The 
ultimate  cost  of  site  cleanup  is  difficult  to  predict  given  the 
uncertainties of our involvement in certain sites, uncertainties 
regarding  the  extent  of  the  required  cleanup,  the  availability 
of alternative cleanup methods, variations in the interpretation 
of applicable laws and regulations, the possibility of insurance 
recoveries  with  respect  to  certain  sites  and  the  fact  that 
imposition of joint and several liability with right of contribution 
is possible under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 
Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 and other environmental 
laws and regulations. As such, we cannot assure you that our 
estimates of environmental liabilities will not change.

In view of our financial position and reserves for environmental 
remediation matters and environmental-related personal injury 
claims  and  based  on  current  information  and  the  applicable 
laws  and  regulations  currently  in  effect,  we  believe  that  our 
liability related to past or current waste disposal practices and 
other  hazardous  materials  handling  practices  will  not  have  a 
material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial 
condition or cash flow. For a discussion of risks related to past 
or future releases of, or exposures to, hazardous substances, 
please refer to “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”

12

Export/Import Compliance

We are required to comply with various export/import control 
and economic sanctions laws, including:

•	 the	International	Traffic	in	Arms	Regulations	administered	
by  the  U.S.  Department  of  State,  Directorate  of  Defense 
Trade  Controls,  which,  among  other  things,  imposes 
license requirements on the export from the United States 
of defense articles and defense services (which are items 
specifically designed or adapted for a military application 
and/or listed on the United States Munitions List);

•	 the	 Export	 Administration	 Regulations	 administered	 by	
the  U.S.  Department  of  Commerce,  Bureau  of  Industry 
impose 
and  Security,  which,  among  other  things, 
licensing  requirements  on  the  export  or  re-export  of 
certain dual-use goods, technology and software (which 
are  items  that  potentially  have  both  commercial  and 
military applications);

•	 the	 regulations	 administered	 by	 the	 U.S.	 Department	 of	
Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control, which implement 
economic sanctions imposed against designated countries, 
governments and persons based on United States foreign 
policy and national security considerations; and

Year Ended December 31

Segment

2007

2006

2005

Professional Instrumentation

Medical Technologies

Industrial Technologies

Tools & Components

Total percentage of revenue 
derived outside of the U.S.

55%

63%

50%

17%

53%

66%

50%

14%

53%

73%

38%

14%

51%

49%

44%

Our principal markets outside the United States are in Europe 
and Asia.

The  table  below  describes  long-lived  assets  located  outside 
the United States as a percentage of total long-lived assets in 
each of the last three years, by segment and in the aggregate:

Year Ended December 31

Segment

2007

2006

2005

Professional Instrumentation

Medical Technologies

Industrial Technologies

Tools & Components

45%

60%

19%

6%

44%

43%

55%

24%

6%

42%

41%

87%

18%

6%

42%

13

•	 the	 import	 regulatory	 activities	 of	 the	 U.S.	 Customs	 and	

Total 

Border Protection.

Non-United  States  governments  have  also  implemented 
similar  export  and  import  control  regulations,  which  may 
affect  our  operations  or  transactions  subject  to  their 
jurisdictions.  For  a  discussion  of  risks  related  to  export/
import control and economic sanctions laws, please refer to 
“Item 1A. Risk Factors.” 

International Operations

Our products and services are available worldwide. We believe 
this  geographic  diversity  allows  us  to  draw  on  the  skills  of  a 
worldwide  workforce,  provides  stability  to  our  operations, 
allows us to drive economies of scale, provides revenue streams 
to offset economic trends in individual economies and offers us 
an opportunity to access new markets for products. In addition, 
we believe that future growth is dependent in part on our ability 
to  develop  products  and  sales  models  that  target  developing 
countries.  The  table  below  describes  annual  revenue  derived 
outside  the  U.S.  as  a  percentage  of  total  annual  revenue  for 
each of the last three years, by segment and in the aggregate:

For  additional  information  related  to  revenues  and  long-lived 
assets by country, please refer to Note 16 to the Consolidated 
Financial Statements.

The manner in which our products and services are sold differs 
by  business  and  by  region.  Most  of  our  sales  in  non-U.S. 
markets are made by subsidiaries located outside the United 
States,  though  we  also  sell  into  non-U.S.  markets  through 
various representatives and distributors and directly from the 
U.S.  In  countries  with  low  sales  volumes,  we  generally  sell 
through representatives and distributors.

information  about  our 

international  operations 

is 
Financial 
contained  in  Note  16  of  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements 
included  in  “Item  8.  Financial  Statements  and  Supplementary 
Data,”  and  information  about  the  possible  effects  of  foreign 
currency  fluctuations  on  our  business  is  set  forth  in  “Item  7. 
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and 
Results of Operations.” For a discussion of risks related to our non-
US operations and foreign currency exchange, please refer to “Item 
1A. Risk Factors.” 

Major Customers

We have no customers that accounted for more than 10% of 
consolidated sales in 2007, 2006 or 2005. 

Other Matters

Our businesses maintain sufficient levels of working capital to 
support customer requirements. Our sales and payment terms 
are generally similar to those of our competitors.

Available Information

We  maintain  an  internet  website  at  www.danaher.com.  We 
make available free of charge on the website our annual reports 
on  Form  10-K,  quarterly  reports  on  Form  10-Q  and  current 
reports  on  Form  8-K  and  amendments  to  those  reports,  filed 
or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange 
Act, as soon as reasonably practicable after filing such material 
electronically with, or furnishing such material to, the SEC. Our 
Internet site and the information contained on or connected to 
that site are not incorporated by reference into this Form 10-K. 

Corporate Governance Guidelines and  
Committee Charters

Our  Corporate  Governance  Guidelines,  the  charters  of  each 
of  the  Audit  Committee,  the  Compensation  Committee  and 
the  Nominating  and  Governance  Committee  of  the  Board  of 
Directors,  and  the  Danaher  Standards  of  Conduct  (including 
code of ethics provisions that apply to our principal executive 
officer,  principal  financial  officer,  principal  accounting  officer 
and  other  senior  financial  officers)  are  available  in  the 
“Investors – Corporate Governance” section of our website at 
www.danaher.com.  Stockholders  may  request  a  free  copy  of 
these documents from: 

Danaher Corporation 
Attention: Corporate Secretary
2099 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
12th Floor
Washington, DC 20006

Certifications

We  have  filed  certifications  under  Rule  13a-14(a)  under  the 
Exchange Act as exhibits to this Annual Report on Form 10-K. 
In  addition,  our  President  and  CEO  submitted  an  annual  CEO 
Certification to the New York Stock Exchange on May 29, 2007 
in accordance with the NYSE listing standards.

14

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

You  should  carefully  consider  the  risks  and  uncertainties 
described  below,  together  with  the  information  included 
elsewhere  in  this  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  and  other 
documents  we  file  with  the  SEC.  The  risks  and  uncertainties 
described below are those that we have identified as material, 
but  are  not  the  only  risks  and  uncertainties  facing  us.  Our 
business is also subject to general risks and uncertainties that 
affect many other companies, such as overall U.S. and non-U.S. 
economic and industry conditions, a global economic slowdown, 
geopolitical  events,  changes  in  laws  or  accounting  rules, 
fluctuations in interest rates, terrorism, international conflicts, 
major  health  concerns,  natural  disasters  or  other  disruptions 
of expected economic or business conditions. Additional risks 
and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently 
believe are immaterial also may impair our business, including 
our results of operations, liquidity and financial condition. 

We face intense competition and if we are unable to 
compete effectively, we may face decreased demand or 
price reductions for our products.
Our  businesses  operate  in  industries  that  are  intensely 
competitive. Because of the diversity of products we sell and 
the variety of markets we serve, we encounter a wide variety of 
competitors. We are facing increased competition in a number 
of  our  served  markets  as  a  result  of  the  entry  of  new,  large 
companies into certain markets, and as a result of increasing 
consolidation  in  particular  markets.  In  order  to  compete 
effectively,  we  must  retain  longstanding  relationships  with 
major customers, establish relationships with new customers, 
continually  develop  new  products  and  services  designed  to 
maintain our leadership position in various product categories 
and penetrate new markets. Our failure to compete effectively 
may  reduce  our  revenues,  profitability  and  cash  flow,  and 
pricing pressures may adversely impact our profitability.

Our growth depends in part on the timely development 
and commercialization, and customer acceptance, of 
new products and product enhancements based on 
technological innovation.
industries  that  are 
We  generally  sell  our  products 
characterized  by  rapid  technological  changes,  frequent  new 
product  introductions  and  changing  industry  standards.  If  we 
do not develop new products and product enhancements based 

in 

on technological innovation on a timely basis, our products will 
become  technologically  obsolete  over  time  and  our  revenues, 
cash flow, profitability and competitive position will suffer. Our 
success will depend on several factors, including our ability to:

•	 correctly	identify	customer	needs	and	preferences	and	

predict future needs and preferences;

•	 encourage	customers	to	adopt	new	technologies;
•	 anticipate	our	competitors’	development	of	new	products	

and technological innovations;

•	 obtain	adequate	intellectual	property	rights;
•	 innovate	and	develop	new	technologies	and	applications	

that are accepted by our customers; and

•	 successfully	commercialize	new	technologies	in	a	 

timely manner.

In  addition,  if  we  fail  to  accurately  predict  future  customer 
needs and preferences or fail to produce viable technologies, 
we may invest heavily in research and development of products 
that do not lead to significant revenue. Even if we successfully 
innovate and develop new products and product enhancements, 
we may incur substantial costs in doing so, and our profitability 
may suffer. 

Our growth rate could decline if the markets into  
which we sell our products decline or do not grow  
as anticipated.
Visibility  into  our  markets  is  limited.  Our  quarterly  sales  and 
operating  results  depend  substantially  on  the  volume  and 
timing of orders received during the quarter, which are difficult 
to forecast. Any decline in our customers’ markets would likely 
result in diminished demand for our products and services and 
would adversely affect our growth rate and profitability.

Our acquisition of businesses could negatively 
impact our profitability and return on invested capital. 
Conversely, any inability to consummate acquisitions at 
our prior rate could negatively impact our growth rate.
As part of our business strategy we acquire businesses in the 
ordinary course, some of which may be material. During 2007 
we  acquired  twelve  businesses  for  an  aggregate  purchase 
price of approximately $3.6 billion (including transaction costs 
and  net  of  cash  acquired);  during  2006  we  acquired  eleven 
businesses for an aggregate purchase price of approximately 
$2.7  billion  (including  transaction  costs  and  net  of  cash 

15

acquired);  and  during  2005  we  acquired  13  businesses  for 
an  aggregate  purchase  price  of  approximately  $885  million 
(including  transaction  costs  and  net  of  cash  acquired).  Our 
acquisitions involve a number of risks and financial, managerial 
and  operational  challenges,  including  the  following,  any  of 
which  could  cause  significant  operating  inefficiencies  and 
adversely affect our growth and profitability:

•	 Any	acquired	business,	technology,	service	or	product	could	
under-perform  relative  to  our  expectations  and  the  price 
that we paid for it.

•	 Acquisition-related	 earnings	 charges	 could	 adversely	

impact operating results.

•	 Acquisitions	 could	 place	 unanticipated	 demands	 on	 our	
management,  operational  resources  and  financial  and 
internal control systems.

•	 We	 could	 experience	 difficulty	 in	 integrating	 personnel,	

operations and financial and other systems.

•	 We	may	be	unable	to	achieve	cost	savings	anticipated	in	
connection with the integration of an acquired business.
•	 We	may	assume	by	acquisition	unknown	liabilities,	known	
contingent liabilities that become realized, known liabilities 
that  prove  greater  than  anticipated,  or  internal  control 
deficiencies.  The  realization  of  any  of  these  liabilities  or 
deficiencies  may  increase  our  expenses  and  adversely 
affect our financial position.

Conversely,  we  may  not  be  able  to  consummate  acquisitions 
at similar rates to the past, which could adversely impact our 
growth rate. Our ability to grow at or above our historic rates 
depends  in  part  upon  our  ability  to  identify  and  successfully 
acquire and integrate companies and businesses at appropriate 
prices  and  realize  anticipated  cost  savings.  In  addition, 
changes  in  accounting  or  regulatory  requirements  or  any 
further deterioration in the credit markets could also adversely 
impact  our  ability  to  consummate  acquisitions  or  change  the 
accounting treatment for acquisitions. For example, as a result 
of  the  recently  issued  Statement  of  Financial  Accounting 
Standard  (SFAS)  No.  141  (R),  Business  Combinations,  which 
will  be  effective  for  fiscal  years  beginning  after  December 
15, 2008, we will be required to expense certain acquisition-
related items that under current accounting rules do not impact 
our income statement.

The indemnification provisions of acquisition 
agreements by which we have acquired companies 
may not fully protect us and may result in 
unexpected liabilities.
Certain  of  the  acquisition  agreements  by  which  we  have 
acquired  companies  require  the  former  owners  to  indemnify 
us  against  certain  liabilities  related  to  the  operation  of  each 
of  their  companies  before  we  acquired  it.  In  most  of  these 
agreements,  however,  the  liability  of  the  former  owners  is 
limited  and  certain  former  owners  may  not  be  able  to  meet 
their  indemnification  responsibilities.  We  cannot  assure  you 
that these indemnification provisions will fully protect us, and 
as a result we may face unexpected liabilities that adversely 
affect our profitability and financial position.

The resolution of contingent liabilities from businesses 
that we have sold could adversely affect our results of 
operations and financial condition. 
We  have  retained  responsibility  for  some  of  the  known 
and  unknown  contingent  liabilities  related  to  a  number  of 
businesses  we  have  sold,  such  as  lawsuits,  product  liability 
claims and environmental matters, and agreed to indemnify the 
purchasers of these businesses for certain known and unknown 
contingent liabilities. The resolution of these contingencies has 
not had a material adverse effect on our results of operations or 
financial condition but we can not be certain that this favorable 
pattern will continue.

Our success depends on our ability to maintain and 
protect our intellectual property and avoid claims of 
infringement or misuse of third party intellectual property.  
We  own  numerous  patents,  trademarks,  copyrights,  trade 
secrets and licenses to intellectual property owned by others, 
which in aggregate are important to our operations. The steps 
that we and our licensors have taken to maintain and protect our 
intellectual property may not prevent it from being challenged, 
invalidated  or  circumvented,  particularly  in  countries  where 
intellectual  property  rights  are  not  highly  developed  or 
protected. Unauthorized use of our intellectual property rights 
could adversely impact our competitive position and results of 
operations. In addition, from time to time in the usual course 
of  business,  we  receive  notices  from  third  parties  regarding 
intellectual  property  infringement  or  misappropriation.  In  the 
event of a successful claim against us, we could lose our rights 
to needed technology or be required to pay substantial damages 

16

or license fees with respect to the infringed rights, any of which 
could  adversely  impact  our  revenues,  profitability  and  cash 
flows.  Even  where  we  successfully  defend  against  claims  of 
infringement or misappropriation, we may incur significant costs 
which could adversely affect our profitability and cash flows.

We are subject to a variety of litigation in the course of 
our business that could adversely affect our results of 
operations and financial condition.
We  are  subject  to  a  variety  of  litigation  incidental  to  our 
business, including claims for damages arising out of the use 
of our products, claims relating to intellectual property matters 
and claims involving employment matters, commercial disputes, 
environmental matters and acquisition-related matters. Some 
of these lawsuits include claims for punitive and consequential 
as  well  as  compensatory  damages.  The  defense  of  these 
lawsuits may divert our management’s attention, we may incur 
significant expenses in defending these lawsuits, and we may 
be required to pay damage awards or settlements or become 
subject  to  equitable  remedies  that  could  adversely  affect 
our  financial  condition,  operations  and  results  of  operations. 
Moreover, any insurance or indemnification rights that we may 
have may be insufficient or unavailable to protect us against 
potential loss exposures. 

Our operations expose us to the risk of environmental 
liabilities, costs, litigation and violations that could 
adversely affect our financial condition, results of 
operations and reputation.
Certain  of  our  operations  are  subject  to  environmental  laws 
and  regulations  in  the  jurisdictions  in  which  they  operate, 
which  impose  limitations  on  the  discharge  of  pollutants  into 
the  ground,  air  and  water  and  establish  standards  for  the 
generation, treatment, use, storage and disposal of solid and 
hazardous wastes. We must also comply with various health 
and safety regulations in the U.S. and abroad in connection with 
our operations. We cannot assure you that we have been or will 
be at all times in substantial compliance with environmental 
and  health  and  safety  laws.  Failure  to  comply  with  any  of 
these laws could result in civil and criminal, monetary and non-
monetary penalties and damage to our reputation. In addition, 
we cannot provide assurance that our costs of complying with 
current  or  future  environmental  protection  and  health  and 
safety laws will not exceed our estimates or adversely affect 
our financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, we may incur costs related to remedial efforts or 
alleged environmental damage associated with past or current 
waste disposal practices or other hazardous materials handling 
practices.  We  are  also  from  time  to  time  party  to  personal 
injury or other claims brought by private parties alleging injury 
due to the presence of or exposure to hazardous substances. 
For  additional  information  regarding  these  risks,  please  refer 
to “Item 1. Business – Regulatory Matters.” We cannot assure 
you that our liabilities arising from past or future releases of, 
or  exposures  to,  hazardous  substances  will  not  exceed  our 
estimates  or  adversely  affect  our  financial  condition,  results 
of operations and reputation or that we will not be subject to 
additional  claims  for  personal  injury  or  cleanup  in  the  future 
based on our past, present or future business activities.

Our businesses are subject to extensive regulation; 
failure to comply with those regulations could 
adversely affect our results of operations, financial 
condition and reputation.
In addition to the environmental regulations noted above, our 
businesses are subject to extensive regulation by U.S. and non-
U.S.  governmental  entities  and  other  entities  at  the  federal, 
state and local levels, including the following:

•	 We	 are	 required	 to	 comply	 with	 various	 import	 laws	
and  export  control  and  economic  sanctions  laws,  which 
may  affect  our  transactions  with  certain  customers, 
business  partners  and  other  persons,  including  in  certain 
cases  dealings  with  or  between  our  employees  and 
subsidiaries.  In  certain  circumstances,  export  control  and 
economic sanctions regulations may prohibit the export of 
certain  products,  services  and  technologies,  and  in  other 
circumstances  we  may  be  required  to  obtain  an  export 
license  before  exporting  the  controlled  item.  Compliance 
with the various import laws that apply to our businesses 
can restrict our access to, and increase the cost of obtaining, 
certain  products  and  at  times  can  interrupt  our  supply  of 
imported inventory.

•	 Certain	 of	 our	 products	 are	 medical	 devices	 and	 other	
products  that  are  subject  to  regulation  by  the  FDA,  by 
counterpart agencies of other countries and by regulations 
governing the management, storage, handling and disposal 
of  hazardous  or  radioactive  materials.  Violations  of  these 
regulations, efficacy or safety concerns or trends of adverse 
events  with  respect  to  our  products  can  lead  to  warning 
injunctions, 
letters,  declining  sales,  recalls,  seizures, 

17

administrative detentions, refusals to permit importations, 
suspension  or  withdrawal  of  approvals  and  pre-market 
notification  rescissions.  Our  products  and  operations  are 
also often subject to the rules of industrial standards bodies 
such as the International Standards Organization (ISO), and 
failure to comply with these rules can also adversely impact 
our business.

•	 We	also	have	agreements	relating	to	the	sale	of	products	to	
government entities and are subject to various statutes and 
regulations that apply to companies doing business with the 
government. Our agreements relating to the sale of products 
to  government  entities  may  be  subject  to  termination, 
reduction  or  modification  in  the  event  of  changes  in 
government  requirements,  reductions  in  federal  spending 
and  other  factors.  We  are  also  subject  to  investigation 
and audit for compliance with the requirements governing 
government  contracts, 
including  requirements  related 
integrity,  export  control,  employment 
to  procurement 
practices,  the  accuracy  of  records  and  the  recording  of 
costs.  A  failure  to  comply  with  these  requirements  might 
result in suspension of these contracts and suspension or 
debarment from government contracting or subcontracting.

18

In  addition,  failure  to  comply  with  any  of  these  regulations 
could result in civil and criminal, monetary and non-monetary 
penalties,  disruptions  to  our  business,  limitations  on  our 
ability  to  import  and  export  products  and  services,  and 
damage to our reputation.

Our reputation and our ability to do business may be 
impaired by improper conduct by any of our employees, 
agents or business partners.
We  cannot  provide  assurance  that  our  internal  controls  will 
always protect us from reckless or criminal acts committed by our 
employees, agents or business partners that would violate U.S. 
and/or non-U.S. laws, including the laws governing payments 
to  government  officials,  competition,  money  laundering  and 
data privacy. Any such improper actions could subject us to civil 
or criminal investigations in the U.S. and in other jurisdictions, 
could lead to substantial civil or criminal, monetary and non-
monetary  penalties  against  us  or  our  subsidiaries,  and  could 
damage our reputation.

Changes in our tax rates or exposure to additional 
income tax liabilities could affect our profitability. 
In addition, audits by tax authorities could result in 
additional tax payments for prior periods.
We  are  subject  to  income  taxes  in  the  U.S.  and  in  various 
foreign jurisdictions. Domestic and international tax liabilities 
are  subject  to  the  allocation  of  income  among  various  tax 
jurisdictions. Our effective tax rate can be affected by changes 
in  the  mix  of  earnings  in  countries  with  differing  statutory 
tax  rates  (including  as  a  result  of  business  acquisitions  and 
dispositions), changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets 
and  liabilities,  accruals  related  to  contingent  tax  liabilities, 
the results of audits and examinations of previously filed tax 
returns  and  changes  in  tax  laws.  Any  of  these  factors  may 
adversely affect our tax rate and decrease our profitability. The 
amount of income taxes we pay is subject to ongoing audits 
by U.S. federal, state and local tax authorities and by non-U.S. 
tax authorities. If these audits result in assessments different 
from our reserves, our future results may include unfavorable 
adjustments to our tax liabilities. 

Foreign currency exchange rates and commodity prices 
may adversely affect our results of operations and 
financial condition.
We  are  exposed  to  a  variety  of  market  risks,  including  the 
effects  of  changes  in  foreign  currency  exchange  rates  and 
commodity  prices.  We  have  substantial  assets,  liabilities, 
revenues  and  expenses  denominated  in  currencies  other 
than the U.S. dollar, and to prepare our consolidated financial 
statements, we must translate these items into U.S. dollars at 
the applicable exchange rates. In addition, we are a large buyer 
of steel, non-ferrous metals and petroleum-based products, as 
well  as  other  commodities  required  for  the  manufacture  of 
products. As a result, changes in currency exchange rates and 
commodity prices may have an adverse effect on our results of 
operations and financial condition. 

If we cannot obtain sufficient quantities of materials, 
components and equipment required for our 
manufacturing activities at competitive prices and 
quality and on a timely basis, or if our manufacturing 
capacity does not meet demand, our business and 
financial results will suffer.
We  purchase  materials,  components  and  equipment  from 
third  parties  for  use  in  our  manufacturing  operations.  Some 

of  our  businesses  purchase  their  requirements  of  certain  of 
these items from sole or limited source suppliers. If we cannot 
obtain  sufficient  quantities  of  materials,  components  and 
equipment at competitive prices and quality and on a timely 
basis,  we  may  not  be  able  to  produce  sufficient  quantities 
of  product  to  satisfy  market  demand,  product  shipments 
may  be  delayed  or  our  material  or  manufacturing  costs  may 
increase. In addition, because we cannot always immediately 
adapt our cost structures to changing market conditions, our 
manufacturing  capacity  may  at  times  exceed  our  production 
requirements or fall short of our production requirements. Any 
or all of these problems could result in the loss of customers, 
provide an opportunity for competing products to gain market 
acceptance and otherwise adversely affect our business and 
financial results.

Changes in governmental regulations may reduce 
demand for our products or increase our expenses. 
We  compete  in  markets  in  which  we  or  our  customers  must 
comply with federal, state, local and foreign regulations, such as 
environmental, health and safety, and food and drug regulations. 
We develop, configure and market our products to meet customer 
needs created by these regulations. Any significant change in 
any of these regulations could reduce demand for our products 
or increase our costs of producing these products. In addition, 
in certain of our markets our growth depends in part upon the 
introduction of new regulations, and the failure of governmental 
and  other  entities  to  adopt  new  regulations  could  adversely 
affect  our  growth  rate.  In  addition,  certain  of  our  customers 
receive  reimbursement  from  government  insurance  programs 
for some of the costs of the products that they purchase from 
us. Reductions in these reimbursement rates adversely impact 
the demand for our products.

distributors  and  other  partners,  or  adverse  developments 
in  their  financial  condition  or  performance,  could  adversely 
affect our results of operations and cash flows. In addition, the 
consolidation of distributors in certain of our served industries, 
as well as the formation of large and sophisticated purchasing 
groups in industries such as healthcare, could adversely impact 
our profitability.

The inability to hire, train and retain a sufficient number 
of skilled officers and other employees could impede 
our ability to compete successfully.
If  we  cannot  hire,  train  and  retain  a  sufficient  number  of 
qualified employees, we may not be able to:

•	 effectively	

integrate	 acquired	 businesses	 and	 realize	

anticipated performance results from those businesses;

•	 effectively	

implement	 the	 Danaher	 Business	 System	
throughout  our  organization  and  achieve  the  cost  savings 
and other benefits that the effective implementation of the 
Danaher Business System can achieve; and

•	 otherwise	profitably	grow	our	business.

International economic, political, legal and business 
factors could negatively affect our results of 
operations, cash flows and financial condition. 
In 2007, approximately 51% of our sales were derived outside 
the  U.S.  Since  our  growth  strategy  depends  in  part  on  our 
ability to further penetrate markets outside the U.S., we expect 
to continue to increase our sales outside the U.S., particularly 
in emerging markets. In addition, many of our manufacturing 
operations  and  suppliers  are  located  outside  the  U.S.  Our 
international business is subject to risks that are customarily 
encountered in non-U.S. operations, including:

Adverse changes in our relationships with, or the 
financial condition or performance of, key distributors, 
resellers and other channel partners could adversely 
affect our results of operations.
Certain  of  our  businesses  sell  a  significant  amount  of  their 
products  to  key  distributors,  resellers  and  other  channel 
partners that have valuable relationships with customers and 
end-users. Some of these distributors and other partners also 
sell our competitors’ products, and if they favor our competitors’ 
products for any reason they may fail to market our products 
effectively.  Adverse  changes  in  our  relationships  with  these 

•	 interruption	in	the	transportation	of	materials	to	us	and	

finished goods to our customers; 

•	 changes	in	a	specific	country’s	or	region’s	political	or	

economic conditions;
•	 trade	protection	measures;
•	 import	or	export	licensing	requirements;
•	 unexpected	changes	in	laws	or	licensing	and	regulatory	
requirements, including negative consequences from 
changes in tax laws;

•	 limitations	on	ownership	and	on	repatriation	of	earnings;
•	 difficulty	in	staffing	and	managing	widespread	operations;

19

If we suffer loss to our facilities or distribution 
system due to catastrophe, our operations could be 
seriously harmed.
Our facilities and distribution system are subject to catastrophic 
loss  due  to  fire,  flood,  terrorism  or  other  natural  or  man-
made  disasters.  If  any  of  these  facilities  were  to  experience 
a  catastrophic  loss,  it  could  disrupt  our  operations,  delay 
production, shipments and revenue and result in large expenses 
to repair or replace the facility. 

Our indebtedness may limit our use of our cash flow.
As of December 31, 2007, we had approximately $3.7 billion 
in outstanding indebtedness. In addition, we had the ability to 
incur an additional $0.9 billion of indebtedness in the form of 
commercial paper or bank loans under our outstanding facilities 
and programs. We may also obtain additional long-term debt 
and  lines  of  credit  to  meet  future  financing  needs.  Our  debt 
level and related debt service obligations could have negative 
consequences, including:

•	 requiring	us	to	dedicate	significant	cash	flow	from	

operations to the payment of principal and interest on our 
debt, which would reduce the funds we have available for 
other purposes;

•	 reducing	our	flexibility	in	planning	for	or	reacting	to	
changes in our business and market conditions; and

•	 exposing	us	to	interest	rate	risk	since	a	portion	of	our	debt	

obligations are at variable rates.

We may incur significantly more debt in the future. If we add 
new debt, the risks described above could increase. In addition, 
any further deterioration in the credit markets may impact the 
availability and cost of future debt borrowings.

•	 differing	labor	regulations;
•	 differing	protection	of	intellectual	property;	and
•	 terrorist	activities	and	the	U.S.	and	international	 

response thereto.

Any  of  these  risks  could  negatively  affect  our  results  of 
operations, cash flows, financial condition and overall growth.

Cyclical economic conditions have affected and may 
continue to adversely affect our financial condition and 
results of operations.
Certain  of  our  businesses  operate  in  industries  that  have 
historically  experienced  periodic  downturns,  which  have 
adversely  impacted  demand  for  the  equipment  and  services 
that  we  manufacture  and  market.  Any  competitive  pricing 
pressures, slowdown in capital investments or other downturn 
in these industries could adversely affect our financial condition 
and results of operations in any given period. 

Work stoppages, union and works council campaigns, 
labor disputes and other matters associated with 
our labor force could adversely impact our results of 
operations and cause us to incur incremental costs. 
We  have  a  number  of  domestic  collective  bargaining  units 
and various non-U.S. collective labor arrangements. While we 
generally have experienced satisfactory relations at our various 
locations, we are subject to potential work stoppages, union 
and works council campaigns and potential labor disputes, any 
of which could adversely impact our results of operations and 
cause us to incur incremental costs. 

Our defined benefit pension plans are subject to 
financial market risks that could adversely affect our 
operating results.
Our  defined  benefit  pension  plan  obligations  are  affected  by 
changes in market interest rates and the majority of plan assets 
are invested in publicly traded debt and equity securities, which 
are  affected  by  market  risks.  Significant  changes  in  market 
interest rates, decreases in the fair value of plan assets and 
investment  losses  on  plan  assets  may  adversely  impact  our 
future operating results.

20

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF 
COMMENTS

None

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES 

We  consider  our  facilities  suitable  and  adequate  for  the 
purposes  for  which  they  are  used  and  do  not  anticipate 
difficulty in renewing existing leases as they expire or in finding 
alternative facilities. Please refer to Note 11 in the Consolidated 
Financial  Statements  included  in  this  Annual  Report  for 
additional information with respect to our lease commitments. 

Our  corporate  headquarters  are  located  in  Washington,  D.C. 
in  a  facility  that  we  lease.  At  December  31,  2007,  we  had 
213  significant  manufacturing  and  distribution 
locations 
worldwide,  comprising  approximately  21  million  square  feet, 
of  which  approximately  13  million  square  feet  are  owned 
and approximately 8 million square feet are leased. Of these 
manufacturing  and  distribution  locations,  115  facilities  are 
located  in  the  United  States  and  98  are  located  outside  the 
United  States,  primarily  in  Europe  and  to  a  lesser  extent  in 
Asia, the rest of North America, Latin America and Australia. 
The  number  of  manufacturing  and  distribution  locations  by 
business segment is:

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

legal  proceedings,  please  see 
For  a  discussion  of 
“Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition 
and Results of Operations – Liquidity and Capital Resources – 
Legal Proceedings”. 

ITEM 4. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS 
TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS

No matters were submitted to a vote of security holders during 
the fourth quarter of 2007.

•	 Professional	Instrumentation,	67;
•	 Medical	Technologies,	46;
•	 Industrial	Technologies,	65;	and
•	 Tools	&	Components,	35.	

21

Executive Officers Of The Registrant

Set forth below are the names, ages, positions and experience of our executive officers. All of our executive officers hold office at 
the pleasure of our Board of Directors.

Name

Steven M. Rales

Mitchell P. Rales

H. Lawrence Culp, Jr.

Daniel L. Comas

Philip W. Knisely

James A. Lico

Thomas P. Joyce, Jr.

James H. Ditkoff

Jonathan P. Graham

Robert S. Lutz

Daniel A. Raskas

Age
56

Position

Chairman of the Board

51

44

44

53

42

47

61

47

50

41

Chairman of the Executive Committee

Chief Executive Officer and President 

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Executive Vice President

Executive Vice President

Executive Vice President

Senior Vice President- Finance and Tax

Senior Vice President – General Counsel

Vice President – Chief Accounting Officer

Vice President – Corporate Development

Officer Since

1984

1984

1995

1996

2000

2002

2002

1991

2006

2002

2004

Steven M. Rales has served as Chairman of the Board since January 1984. In addition, during the past five years, he has been a 
principal in a number of private business entities with interests in manufacturing companies and publicly traded securities. Mr. 
Rales is a brother of Mitchell P. Rales.

22

Mitchell P. Rales has served as Chairman of the Executive Committee since 1990. In addition, during the past five years, he has been 
a principal in a number of private business entities with interests in manufacturing companies and publicly traded securities. Mr. 
Rales is a brother of Steven M. Rales.

H. Lawrence Culp, Jr. was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer in 2001.

Daniel L. Comas was appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in April 2005. He served as Vice President-
Corporate Development from 1996 to April 2004 and as Senior Vice President-Finance and Corporate Development from April 2004 
to April 2005. 

Philip W. Knisely has served as Executive Vice President since he joined Danaher in June 2000. 

James A. Lico was appointed Executive Vice President in September 2005. He has served in a variety of general management 
positions  since  joining  Danaher  in  1996,  including  most  recently  as  President  of  Fluke  Corporation  from  July  2000  until 
September 2005, as Vice President and Group Executive of Danaher Corporation from December 2002 until September 2005, 
and as Vice President – Danaher Business Systems Office from September 2004 until September 2005. 

Thomas P. Joyce, Jr. was appointed Executive Vice President in May 2006. He has served in a variety of general management 
positions since joining Danaher in 1990, including most recently as Vice President and Group Executive of Danaher Corporation from 
December 2002 until May 2006. 

James H. Ditkoff has served as Senior Vice President-Finance and Tax since December 2002.

Jonathan P. Graham joined Danaher as Senior Vice President-General Counsel in July 2006. Prior to joining the company, he served 
as Vice President, Litigation and Legal Policy for General Electric Corporation, a diversified industrial company, from October 2004 
until June 2006. He practiced with the law firm of Williams & Connolly LLP, a law firm based in Washington, D.C., from 1988 until 
September 2004, most recently as partner from 1996 to September 2004.

Robert S. Lutz joined Danaher as Vice President-Audit and Reporting in July 2002 and was appointed Vice President-Chief Accounting 
Officer in March 2003. 

Daniel A. Raskas was appointed Vice President – Corporate Development in November 2004. Prior to joining Danaher, he worked 
for Thayer Capital Partners, a private equity investment firm, from 1998 through October 2004, most recently as Managing Director 
from 2001 through October 2004.

23

PART II 

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR THE REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED 
STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Our  common  stock  is  traded  on  the  New  York  Stock  Exchange  under  the  symbol  DHR.  As  of  February  15,  2008,  there  were 
approximately 3,193 holders of record of our common stock. The high and low common stock prices per share as reported on the 
New York Stock Exchange, and the dividends paid per share, in each case for the periods described below, were as follows: 

2007

Low

$ 69.11

$ 69.61

$ 72.90

$ 80.04

Dividends  
Per Share

$ .02

$ .03

$ .03

$ .03

High

$ 65.42

$ 68.47

$ 69.05

$ 75.28

2006

Low

$ 54.04

$ 60.63

$ 59.72

$ 66.87

Dividends  
Per Share

$ .02

$ .02

$ .02

$ .02

High

$ 75.97

$ 76.09

$ 84.35

$ 89.22

First quarter

Second quarter

Third quarter

Fourth quarter

Our payment of dividends in the future will be determined by our Board of Directors and will depend on business conditions, our 
earnings and other factors. 

Issuer Purchase of Equity Securities 

24

On April 21, 2005, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to 10 million shares of the Company’s 
common stock from time to time on the open market or in privately negotiated transactions. There is no expiration date for 
the Company’s repurchase program. The timing and amount of any shares repurchased will be determined by the Company’s 
management based on its evaluation of market conditions and other factors. The repurchase program may be suspended or 
discontinued at any time. Any repurchased shares will be available for use in connection with the Company’s existing stock plans 
(or any successor plan) and for other corporate purposes. 

During 2007, the Company repurchased 1.64 million shares of Company common stock in open market transactions at a cost 
of $117 million. None of the repurchases were made during the fourth quarter of 2007. These repurchases were funded from 
available cash and from proceeds from the issuance of commercial paper. During 2005, the Company repurchased 5 million 
shares of Company common stock in open market transactions at an aggregate cost of $258 million. The 2005 repurchases 
were  funded  from  available  cash  and  from  borrowings  under  uncommitted  lines  of  credit.  At  December  31,  2007,  the 
Company had approximately 3.4 million shares remaining for stock repurchases under the existing Board authorization. 
The Company expects to fund any further repurchases using the Company’s available cash balances or proceeds from the 
issuance of commercial paper.

In addition, during the fourth quarter of 2007, holders of an aggregate of 3,202 Liquid Yield Option Notes (LYONs) converted the 
LYONs into an aggregate of 46,539 shares of Danaher common stock, par value $0.01 per share. The shares of common stock were 
issued solely to an existing security holder upon conversion of the LYONs pursuant to the exemption from registration provided 
under Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Exchange Act 1933, as amended.

ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA 

(in thousands, except per share information)

Sales

Operating Profit

Earnings from  

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

$ 11,025,917

$   9,466,056

$ 7,871,498

$ 6,776,505

$ 5,184,135

1,740,709

1,500,210

1,247,575

1,089,573

834,999

(a)

continuing operations

1,213,998

1,109,206

885,609

735,013

531,912

(a)

Earnings from discontinued 
operations, net of tax

Net earnings

Earnings per share from  
continuing operations:

Basic

Diluted

Earnings per share from 

discontinued operations:

Basic

Diluted

Net earnings per share: 

Basic

Diluted

155,906

(b)

12,823

1,369,904

1,122,029

12,191

897,800

10,987

746,000

4,922

(a)

536,834

$            3.90 

$            3.60

$          2.87

$          2.38

$          1.73

3.72

3.44

2.72

2.27

1.67

$            0.50 

0.47

$            4.40 

4.19

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

$            0.04

$          0.04

$          0.03

$          0.02

0.04

0.04

0.03

0.02

$            3.64

$          2.91

$          2.41

$          1.75

3.48

2.76

2.30

1.69

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

Dividends per share

$            0.11

$            0.08

$          0.07

$        0.058

$          0.05

Total assets

Total debt

$ 17,471,935 

$ 12,864,151

$ 9,163,109

$ 8,493,893

$ 6,890,050

25

$   3,726,244 

$   2,433,716

$ 1,041,722

$ 1,350,298

$ 1,298,883

(a)  Includes a benefit of $22.5 million ($14.6 million after-tax or $0.05 per diluted share) from a gain on curtailment of the Company’s 

Cash Balance Pension Plan recorded in the fourth quarter of 2003.

(b)  Includes $211 million ($150 million after-tax or $0.45 per diluted share) gain on sale of the Company’s power quality business. 

Refer to Note 3 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S 
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF 
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS 
OF OPERATIONS 

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition 
and  Results  of  Operations  (MD&A)  is  designed  to  provide  a 
reader of the Company’s financial statements with a narrative 
from the perspective of Company management. The Company’s 
MD&A is divided into four main sections:

•	 Overview
•	 Results	of	Operations
•	 Liquidity	and	Capital	Resources
•	 Critical	Accounting	Policies

The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction 
with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements.

Overview

Danaher strives to create shareholder value through: 

•	 delivering	sales	growth,	excluding	the	impact	of	acquired	
businesses, in excess of the overall market growth for its 
products and services; 

•	 upper	quartile	financial	performance	compared	to	Danaher’s	

peer companies; and 

•	 upper	 quartile	 cash	 flow	 generation	 from	 operations	

compared to Danaher’s peer companies.

To  accomplish  these  goals,  the  Company  uses  a  set  of  tools 
and processes, known  as the DANAHER BUSINESS  SYSTEM 
(“DBS”), which are designed to continuously improve business 
performance  in  critical  areas  of  quality,  delivery,  cost  and 
innovation.  Within  the  DBS  framework,  the  Company  also 
pursues a number of ongoing strategic initiatives intended to 
improve operational performance, including global sourcing of 
materials  and  services  and  innovative  product  development. 
The  Company  also  acquires  businesses  that  it  believes  can 
help  it  achieve  the  objectives  described  above,  and  believes 
that many acquisition opportunities remain available within its 
target  markets.  The  Company  will  acquire  businesses  when 
they  strategically  fit  with  existing  operations  or  when  they 
are of such a nature and size as to establish a new strategic 
line of business.  The extent to which appropriate acquisitions 

are made and effectively integrated can affect the Company’s 
overall  growth  and  operating  results.  The  Company  also 
continually assesses the strategic fit of its existing businesses 
and may divest businesses that are not deemed to strategically 
fit  with  ongoing  operations  or  are  not  achieving  the  desired 
return on investment.

Danaher is a multinational corporation with global operations. 
In 2007, approximately 51% of Danaher’s sales were derived 
outside  the  United  States.  As  a  global  business,  Danaher’s 
operations  are  affected  by  worldwide,  regional  and  industry 
economic and political factors. However, Danaher’s geographic 
and  industry  diversity,  as  well  as  the  diversity  of  its  product 
sales  and  services,  has  helped  limit  the  impact  of  any 
one  industry  or  the  economy  of  any  single  country  on  the 
consolidated  operating  results.    Given  the  broad  range  of 
products manufactured and geographies served, management 
does not use any indices other than general economic trends 
to predict the overall outlook for the Company. The Company’s 
individual businesses monitor key competitors and customers, 
including to the extent possible their sales, to gauge relative 
performance  and  the  outlook  for  the  future.  In  addition,  the 
Company’s order rates are highly indicative of the Company’s 
revenue in the short term and thus a key measure of anticipated 
performance. In those industry segments where the Company 
is a capital equipment provider, revenues depend on the capital 
expenditure budgets and spending patterns of the Company’s 
customers, who may delay or accelerate purchases in reaction 
to changes in their businesses and in the economy. 

Significant Acquisitions and Divestitures

In November 2007, the Company significantly expanded its test 
and  measurement  business  with  the  acquisition  of  all  of  the 
outstanding shares of Tektronix, Inc. (Tektronix) for total cash 
consideration of approximately $2.8 billion, including transaction 
costs and net of cash and debt acquired. Tektronix is a leading 
supplier  of  test,  measurement,  and  monitoring  products, 
solutions  and  services  for  engineers  in  the  communications, 
computer,  consumer  electronics  and  education  industries,  as 
well as in military/aerospace, semiconductor and a broad range 
of other industries worldwide. Tektronix had annual revenues of 
approximately $1.1 billion in its most recently completed fiscal 
year, and is part of Danaher’s test and measurement business 
included  in  the  Professional  Instrumentation  segment.  The 
Company funded the purchase price of the Tektronix acquisition 

26

with proceeds from the issuance of commercial paper and the 
Company’s November 2007 common stock offering (described 
below), and to a lesser extent from available cash. 

Tektronix is expected to provide additional sales and earnings 
growth opportunities for the Company’s test and measurement 
business,  both  through  the  growth  of  existing  products  and 
services and through the potential acquisition of complementary 
businesses.  The  combination  of  Tektronix  with  Danaher’s 
existing  test  and  measurement  businesses  is  also  expected 
to  yield  significant  cost  reductions.  Company  management 
and  other  personnel  are  devoting  significant  attention  to  the 
successful integration of the Tektronix business into Danaher. 

On November 7, 2007, the Company completed the underwritten 
public offering of 6.9 million shares of Danaher common stock at 
a price to the public of $82.25 per share. The net proceeds, after 
expenses and the underwriters’ discount, were approximately 
$550 million, which were used to partially fund the acquisition 
of Tektronix. In addition, on December 11, 2007, the Company 
completed  the  underwritten  public  offering  of  $500  million 
aggregate principal amount of 5.625% senior notes due 2018 
(the  “2018  Notes”).  The  net  proceeds,  after  expenses  and 
the underwriters’ discount, were approximately $493 million, 
which were used to repay a portion of the commercial paper 
issued to finance the acquisition of Tektronix.

In  July  2007,  the  Company  acquired  all  of  the  outstanding 
shares  of  ChemTreat,  Inc.  (ChemTreat)  for  a  cash  purchase 
price of $425 million including transaction costs. No cash was 
acquired  in  the  transaction.  ChemTreat  is  a  leading  provider 
of industrial water treatment products and services, and had 
annual revenues of $200 million in its most recent completed 
fiscal year. ChemTreat is part of the Company’s environmental 
business  included  within  the  Professional  Instrumentation 
segment. ChemTreat is expected to provide additional sales and 
earnings growth opportunities for the Company’s water quality 
business  both  through  the  growth  of  existing  products  and 
services and through the potential acquisition of complementary 
businesses. The Company financed the acquisition of ChemTreat 
primarily with proceeds from the issuance of commercial paper 
and to a lesser extent from available cash.

Also during July 2007, the Company completed the sale of its 
power quality business for a cash sales price of $275 million 
net of transaction costs and recorded an after-tax gain of $150 

million ($0.45 per diluted share). Prior to the sale, this business 
was part of the Industrial Technologies segment. The Company 
has  reported  the  power  quality  business  as  a  discontinued 
operation in this Form 10-K in accordance with Statement of 
Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 144, Accounting for 
the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets. Accordingly, 
the  results  of  operations  for  all  periods  presented  have 
been  reclassified  to  reflect  the  power  quality  business  as  a 
discontinued operation.

Business Performance

While differences exist among the Company’s businesses, the 
Company generally continued to see market growth during the 
year ended December 31, 2007. The Company’s year-over-year 
growth  rates  reflect  continued  strength  in  global  economic 
conditions, particularly Europe and Asia, and to a lesser extent, 
North America. In addition, the growth reflects the continued 
shift of the Company’s operations into higher growth sectors 
of the economy. Growth rates slowed somewhat from the rate 
experienced in 2006 partially due to difficult comparisons with 
sales levels in 2006 within the Company’s product identification 
businesses  and  the  impact  of  regulatory  changes  in  the 
Company’s engine retarder business discussed below. 

The  Company  continues  to  operate  in  a  highly  competitive 
business  environment 
in  the  markets  and  geographies 
served.    The  Company’s  performance  will  be  impacted  by  its 
ability to address a variety of challenges and opportunities in 
the markets and geographies it serves, including trends toward 
increased  utilization  of  the  global  labor  force,  consolidation 
of  competitors,  the  expansion  of  market  opportunities  in 
Asia,  increasing  significance  of  technology  and  intellectual 
property in the businesses in which the Company operates and 
increases in raw material costs.  The Company will continue 
to assess market needs with the objective of positioning itself 
to provide superior products and services to its customers in a 
cost efficient manner. 

Although  the  Company  has  a  U.S.  dollar  functional  currency 
for reporting purposes, it has manufacturing sites throughout 
the world and a substantial portion of its sales are generated 
in foreign currencies. Sales by subsidiaries operating outside 
of  the  United  States  are  translated  into  U.S.  dollars  using 
exchange  rates  effective  during  the  respective  period.  As  a 
result, the Company is exposed to movements in the exchange 

27

rates of various currencies against the U.S. dollar. In particular, 
the  Company  has  more  sales  in  European  currencies  than  it 
has expenses in those currencies. Therefore, when European 
currencies  strengthen  or  weaken  against  the  U.S.  dollar, 
operating profits are increased or decreased, respectively.

of  ChemTreat  in  July  2007  and  Tektronix  in  November  2007, 
both of which are included in the Professional Instrumentation 
segment, and the acquisitions of other smaller businesses in 
the  Medical  Technologies,  Professional  Instrumentation  and 
Industrial Technologies segments.

The Company has generally accepted the exposure to exchange 
rate movements without using derivative financial instruments 
to  manage  this  risk.  Therefore,  both  positive  and  negative 
movements in currency exchange rates against the U.S. dollar 
will continue to affect the reported amount of sales, profit, and 
assets and liabilities in the Company’s consolidated financial 
statements.  On  an  overall  basis,  the  U.S.  dollar  weakened 
against other major currencies in 2007 and closed the year at 
exchange rate levels weaker than the exchange rate levels as of 
the end of 2006. The impact of currency rate changes increased 
reported  sales  by  approximately  3.5%  during  the  year  ended 
December 31, 2007 as compared to the year ended December 
31, 2006. Any further weakening of the U.S. dollar against other 
major currencies would benefit the Company’s future results of 
operations. Any strengthening of the U.S. dollar against other 
major currencies would adversely impact the Company’s future 
sales and results of operations.

28

Results Of Operations

Consolidated  sales  from  continuing  operations  for  the  year 
ended December 31, 2007 increased approximately 16.5% over 
the comparable period of 2006. Sales from existing businesses 
contributed 4.5% growth. Acquisitions contributed 8.5% to the 
sales growth during 2007. The impact of currency translation 
on  sales  provided  3.5%  growth  as  the  U.S.  dollar  weakened 
against other major currencies throughout 2007. References in 
this report to sales from existing businesses include sales from 
acquired businesses starting from and after the first anniversary 
of the acquisition, but exclude currency effect.

The  growth  in  sales  from  acquisitions  in  the  year  ended 
December  31,  2007  primarily  related  to  acquisitions  in 
the  Company’s  Medical  Technologies  and  Professional 
Instrumentation businesses. The acquisitions of Sybron Dental 
Specialties,  Inc.  (Sybron)  in  May  2006  and  Vision  Systems 
Limited (Vision), at the end of 2006, both of which are part of the 
Medical Technologies segment, have contributed the majority 
of this year-over-year acquisition-related revenue growth. Also 
contributing to the year-over-year growth are the acquisitions 

Operating  profit  margins  from  continuing  operations  for  the 
Company  were  15.8%  in  the  year  ended  December  31,  2007 
as compared to 15.9% for the year ended December 31, 2006. 
Following  are  the  key  factors  impacting  the  year-over-year 
comparison of operating profit margins:

•	 Operating	 profit	 margin	 improvements	 in	 the	 Company’s	
existing businesses contributed 85 basis points of margin 
improvement primarily as a result of broad-based operating 
profit margin improvements across the Company’s business 
segments.  Operating  profit  margins  benefited  from  on-
going cost reduction initiatives including application of the 
Danaher Business System and low-cost region sourcing and 
production  initiatives  and  the  additional  leverage  created 
from  sales  growth  compared  with  the  prior  year  period. 
The ongoing application of the Danaher Business System in 
each of our segments, and the Company’s low-cost region 
sourcing  and  production  initiatives,  are  both  expected  to 
positively impact operating profit margins at both existing 
and newly acquired businesses in future periods.

•	 The	dilutive	impact	of	acquisitions	reduced	2007	operating	
profit margins by 90 basis points, including the expensing of 
approximately $68.2 million of acquisition related charges 
for in-process research and development and the fair values 
of acquired inventory and deferred revenues during 2007 in 
connection with the acquisition of Textronix. 

The effective tax rate for 2007 of 25.8% reflects net discrete 
tax benefits of approximately $21 million, or $0.07 per diluted 
share. New tax legislation that was signed into law in several 
taxing  jurisdictions  during  2007,  most  notably  in  Germany 
and  Denmark,  reduced  income  tax  rates  for  2008  and  future 
periods  which  resulted  in  a  reduction  in  the  Company’s 
deferred  tax  liabilities  and  a  like  reduction  in  2007  income 
tax expense as required under SFAS No. 109, Accounting for 
Income  Taxes.  The  lower  statutory  rates  are  expected  to  be 
offset  by  other  statutory  changes  in  these  jurisdictions,  such 
that the Company’s effective tax rate in future years will not 
be  materially  reduced  as  a  result  of  the  legislation.  Partially 
offsetting  the  benefit  from  the  above  tax  rate  reduction  was 

the effect of establishing income tax reserves during the year 
related to uncertain tax positions in various taxing jurisdiction, 
net of the reduction of tax reserves associated with Sweden. 
Refer to Note 13 in the Consolidated Financial Statements for 
additional information. The Company expects the tax rate for 
2008 to be approximately 27%.

The following table summarizes sales by business segment for 
each of the periods indicated:

For the Year Ended December 31  
($ in millions)

2007

2006

2005

Professional Instrumentation

$  3,537.9  $2,906.5

$2,600.6

Medical Technologies

2,998.0

2,220.0

1,181.5

Industrial Technologies

3,153.4

2,988.8

2,794.9

Professional Instrumentation

Businesses in the Professional Instrumentation segment offer 
professional  and  technical  customers  various  products  and 
services  that  are  used  in  connection  with  the  performance 
of  their  work.  The  Professional  Instrumentation  segment 
encompasses  two  strategic  businesses:  environmental  and 
test  and  measurement.  These  businesses  produce  and  sell 
bench  top  and  compact,  professional  electronic  test  tools 
and calibration equipment; water quality instrumentation and 
consumables and ultraviolet disinfection systems; industrial 
water treatment solutions; and retail/commercial petroleum 
products  and  services, 
including  dispensers,  payment 
systems, underground storage tank leak detection and vapor 
recovery systems.

Tools & Components

1,336.6

1,350.8

1,294.5

Existing businesses

Total

$11,025.9  $9,466.1

$7,871.5

Acquisitions

Professional Instrumentation Selected Financial Data

For the Year Ended December 31  
($ in millions)

Sales
Operating Profit
Depreciation and 
amortization
Operating profit  
as a % of sales
Depreciation and 
amortization  
as a % of sales

2007
$ 3,537.9 
709.5

2006
$ 2,906.5
625.6

2005
$ 2,600.6
538.3

64.8

48.8

47.8

20.1%

21.5%

20.7%

1.8%

1.7%

1.8%

Components of Sales Growth

2007 vs. 2006

2006 vs. 2005

6.5%

12.0%

3.5%

22.0%

7.5%

4.0%

0.5%

 12.0%

Currency exchange rates

Total

29

2007 Compared To 2006

As detailed in the table above, segment sales for Professional 
Instrumentation  increased  22.0%  for  2007  compared  to 
2006.  Sales  from  existing  businesses  increased  in  both  of 
the  segment’s  strategic  lines  of  business.  Prices  accounted 
for  approximately  1.5%  sales  growth  and  the  impact  of  that 
increase is reflected in sales from existing businesses. 

Operating  profit  margins  were  20.1%  in  2007  compared  to 
21.5% in 2006. Operating profit margin improvements of 135 
basis  points  related  to  existing  businesses  were  more  than 
offset by the dilutive impact of lower operating profit margins 
of  acquired  businesses,  which  reduced  segment  operating 
profit margins by 260 basis points compared to 2006. Included 
in  the  dilutive  impact  on  operating  margins  from  acquired 
businesses is approximately $68 million (185 basis points) in 
charges associated with the acquisition of Tektronix, primarily 
related  to  acquired  in-process  research  and  development 
activities,  acquired  inventory  and  acquired  deferred  revenue. 
In addition, year over year comparisons are impacted by a gain 
on the sale of real estate during 2006 and recovery of certain 
previously written-off receivables during 2006 which increased 
that period’s operating profit margins by 15 basis points. 

Overview of Businesses within Professional 
Instrumentation Segment

Environmental.  Sales  from  the  Company’s  environmental 
businesses, representing approximately 60% of segment sales 
for 2007, increased 16.5% in 2007 compared to 2006. Sales from 
existing businesses accounted for 6.0% growth. Acquisitions 
accounted for 7.0% growth and currency translation accounted 
for 3.5% growth.

New product offerings in the thermography, power quality test 
and process calibration markets generated strong sales in the 
electrical  and  industrial  channels  in  all  major  geographical 
areas  during  2007.  The  network  test  business  experienced 
mid-single  digit  revenue  growth  in  2007  compared  to  2006. 
Large orders from telecommunications carriers in the United 
States during the first three quarters of 2007 and cable test 
equipment  sales  in  Europe  were  the  primary  drivers  of  the 
network test growth.

The  Company’s  water  quality  businesses  experienced  low-
double  digit  revenue  growth  for  2007  compared  to  2006, 
primarily as a result of strength in sales of laboratory and process 
instrumentation  products  in  all  major  geographic  regions.  In 
addition,  sales  of  the  Company’s  ultraviolet  water  treatment 
systems  grew  double-digit  compared  to  2006.  Investment  in 
sales forces and other growth initiatives, in addition to continued 
penetration  of  the  Asian  wastewater  market,  including  a 
significant reclamation project in Australia, contributed to the 
growth.  Sales  growth  from  acquisitions  primarily  relates  to 
the acquisition of ChemTreat in July 2007. The acquisition of 
ChemTreat expands the scope of the water quality business in 
the area of industrial water treatment solutions and is expected 
to provide additional sales and earnings growth opportunities 
from existing products and services and through the potential 
acquisition of complementary businesses.

The Gilbarco Veeder-Root retail petroleum equipment business 
experienced low-single digit revenue growth in 2007 compared 
to  2006.  The  business’  point  of  sale  payment  systems  and 
service  business  enjoyed  robust  growth  in  2007,  primarily  in 
Europe. In addition, the business experienced strong demand 
during 2007 for its recently introduced leak detection systems 
in  North  America  and  China  during  2007.  These  sales  gains 
were  offset  by  difficult  prior  year  comparisons,  a  result  of 
strong dispenser sales in 2006 due to extensive refurbishment 
activity in Europe and regulatory mandates in Mexico that did 
not repeat in 2007. 

Test  and  Measurement.  Sales  from  the  Company’s  test  and 
measurement  businesses,  representing  approximately  40% 
of  segment  sales  for  2007,  grew  31.5%  compared  to  2006. 
Sales  from  existing  businesses  accounted  for  8.0%  growth. 
Acquisitions  accounted  for  20.0%  growth  and  currency 
translation accounted for approximately 3.5% growth. 

Acquisition  growth  was  primarily  related  to  the  acquisition 
of  Tektronix  in  addition  to  several  smaller  acquisitions 
throughout the year. The acquisition of Tektronix in November 
2007 substantially increases the product line and geographic 
scope of the test and measurement business, particularly in 
Asia, and is expected to provide additional sales and earnings 
growth  of  existing  products  and  services  and  through  the 
potential  acquisition  of  complementary  businesses.  The 
combination  of  Tektronix  with  Danaher’s  existing  test  and 
measurement  business  is  also  expected  to  yield  significant 
cost reductions.

2006 Compared To 2005

Professional  Instrumentation  segment  sales  increased  12% 
for 2006 compared to 2005. Price increases contributed 1.5% 
to overall sales growth compared to 2005. Sales from existing 
businesses increased in both of the Company’s strategic lines 
of business. 

Operating  profit  margins  for  the  segment  were  21.5%  in 
2006  compared  to  20.7%  for  2005.  Operating  profit  margin 
improvements  in  the  segment’s  existing  businesses  were 
offset by the lower operating margins of acquired businesses 
which  reduced  segment  operating  margins  by  approximately 
40  basis  points  in  2006  compared  to  2005.  In  addition,  the 
implementation of SFAS No. 123R reduced operating profit for 
the segment by approximately $14.7 million and contributed to 
a 50 basis point reduction in operating profit margins in 2006 
compared to 2005.

30

Overview of Businesses within Professional 
Instrumentation Segment

Environmental.  Sales  from  the  Company’s  environmental 
businesses,  representing  approximately  63%  of  segment 
sales  for  2006,  increased  10.5%  in  2006  compared  to  2005. 
Sales  from  existing  businesses  accounted  for  8%  growth. 
Acquisitions accounted for 2% growth and currency translation 
accounted for 0.5% growth.

for  the  businesses’  thermography  and  new  power  quality 
test  products  contributed  significantly  to  this  overall  growth. 
The  Company’s  network  test  business  reported  mid-single 
digit  sales  growth  for  2006  compared  to  2005.  Sales  growth 
slowed in North America and Europe in 2006 compared to 2005 
since 2005 benefited from several new product launches. The 
network-test  business  experienced  somewhat  stronger  sales 
growth in China and Latin America in 2006 compared to 2005.

Medical Technologies

The  Medical  Technologies  segment  consists  of  businesses 
which offer dentists, other doctors and hospital and research 
professionals  various  products  and  services  that  are  used  in 
connection with the performance of their work.

Medical Technologies Selected Financial Data

For the Year Ended December 31  
($ in millions)

Sales
Operating Profit
Depreciation and 
amortization
Operating profit  
as a % of sales
Depreciation and  
amortization  
as a % of sales

2007
$ 2,998.0 
393.2

2006
$ 2,220.0
261.6

2005
$ 1,181.5
138.7

119.7

84.3

44.2

13.1%

11.8%

11.7%

31

4.0%

3.8%

3.7%

Components of Sales Growth

2007 vs. 2006

2006 vs. 2005

Existing businesses

Acquisitions

Currency exchange rates

Total

8.0%

22.0%

5.0%

35.0%

8.5%

78.0%

1.5%

 88.0%

The  Company’s  water  quality  businesses  experienced  mid-
single digit  sales growth for 2006. This growth  was  primarily 
the  result  of  strength  in  the  business’  laboratory  and  process 
instrumentation  products  in  both  the  North  American  and 
European  markets.  Sales  in  Asia  grew  over  20%  in  2006 
reflecting continued penetration of these markets. The business’ 
ultra  analytics  business  reported  mid-single  digit  growth  in 
2006. Sales growth in North America and Europe, as well as the 
impact of new product introductions, drove the improvements. 
Lower  sales  in  Asia  reflecting  in  part  a  difficult  comparable 
sales period in 2005 due to certain large projects not repeating 
in  2006,  partially  offset  these  improvements.  Sales  growth 
from acquired businesses primarily reflects the impact of three 
smaller acquisitions completed in 2005 and 2006.

The Gilbarco Veeder-Root retail petroleum product and service 
business  reported  high-single  digit  sales  growth  in  2006 
compared to low single-digit sales growth in 2005. This growth 
was driven by extensive refurbishment activity in Europe and 
regulatory  incentives  in  Mexico  that  encouraged  dispensers 
to be embedded with tamper proof capability. The businesses’ 
newly  introduced  dispensing  equipment  and  its  recently 
introduced  point  of  sale  equipment  were  favorably  received 
which also contributed to this growth. 

Test  and  Measurement.  Sales  from  the  Company’s  test  and 
measurement  businesses,  representing  approximately  37% 
of  segment  sales  for  2006,  grew  14.5%  compared  to  2005. 
Sales  from  existing  businesses  accounted  for  7.0%  growth. 
Acquisitions  accounted  for  7.5%  growth  and  currency 
translation had a negligible impact. 

Sales growth from existing businesses in 2006 continued the 
strong  growth  experienced  throughout  2005.  The  business 
experienced  high-single  digit  growth  in  traditional  industrial 
channels  in  all  major  geographic  regions  with  particular 
strength  in  the  Asian  and  Latin  American  markets.  Demand 

 
2007 Compared To 2006

As detailed in the table above, segment sales increased 35% 

for 2007 compared to 2006. Price increases, which are included 

in sales from existing businesses, contributed 1.0% to overall 

sales growth in 2007 compared to 2006. 

although at somewhat lower rates than those experienced in 
the European markets. The increase in instrument placements 
in 2007 is expected to result in increased consumables sales 
in future periods. New product introductions resulting from the 
business’ continued research and development efforts are also 
contributing to this growth.

Operating  profit  margin  improvements  in  the  segment’s 

existing businesses contributed 100 basis points to the overall 

operating margin improvement in 2007. Improvements in the 

operating  profit  margins  of  the  dental  consumable,  acute 

care diagnostic and life sciences instrumentation businesses 

were partially offset by lower operating profit margins in the 

dental  equipment  businesses.  Recently  acquired  businesses 

adversely impacted 2007 operating profit margins by 40 basis 

points  as  compared  to  2006.  In  addition,  on  a  comparative 

basis,  2007  operating  margins  benefited  approximately  50 

basis  points  from  the  adverse  impact  on  2006  operating 

margins that resulted from charges recorded associated with 

the fair value of acquired inventory related to the acquisition 

of Sybron.  

Overview of Businesses within  
Medical Technologies Segment

32

The  segment’s  dental  business  experienced  mid-single  digit 

revenue  growth  in  2007  compared  to  2006.  The  business 

experienced 

increased  sales  volumes 

in 

its  restorative 

and  orthodontia  products  as  well  as  in  the  instrument  and 

treatment unit product offerings across all major geographies. 

In  addition,  increased  sales  of  both  two-dimensional  and 

three-dimensional imaging products contributed to the revenue 

growth  in  the  European  market.  This  growth  was  partially 

offset by a decline in instrument and treatment unit sales to 

Asia reflecting a weak overall Japanese market and the need 

to  re-register  certain  products  with  regulatory  authorities  in 

South Korea. 

Radiometer’s acute care diagnostics business experienced high-

single digit revenue growth in 2007 compared to 2006. Increasing 

sales of diagnostic instruments in Europe (particularly Russia) 

in 2007 contributed to this sales growth. The North American 

and  Asia/Pacific  markets  also  contributed  to  the  growth, 

Leica  Microsystems’  life  science  instrumentation  business 
experienced  mid-teens  revenue  growth  in  2007  compared 
to  2006.  Robust  microscopy  demand,  particularly  confocal 
microscopes,  in  North  America  and  Asia  were  the  primary 
growth  drivers.  The 
integration  of  Vision  with  Leica 
Microsystems  has  been  completed  and  has  generated 
incremental  revenue  growth,  the  majority  of  which  has  been 
included  as  a  component  of  acquisition  growth  during  2007. 
Vision’s revenue grew approximately 30% in 2007 compared to 
2006 when it was a stand-alone company.

2006 Compared To 2005

Medical Technologies segment sales increased 88% for 2006 
compared to 2005. Price increases, which are included in sales 
from  existing  businesses,  contributed  approximately  1%  to 
overall sales growth compared to 2005. 

Operating  profit  margins  for  the  segment  were  11.8%  in 
2006  compared  to  11.7%  for  2005.  Operating  profit  margin 
improvements in the segment’s existing operations, largely as 
a result of margin improvements within the dental technology 
businesses,  were  offset  by  the  lower  operating  margins  of 
acquired  businesses,  primarily  Leica  and  the  expensing  of 
in-process  research  and  development  in  connection  with  the 
acquisition of Vision which reduced operating profit margins for 
the year ended December 31, 2006 by approximately 45 basis 
points  compared  to  2005.  In  addition,  the  implementation  of 
SFAS No. 123R resulted in approximately $6 million of stock 
option  compensation  expense  and  reduced  operating  profit 
margins for the year ended December 31, 2006 by approximately 
30 basis points compared to 2005. The Company also recorded 
a $4.5 million charge in the first quarter of 2006 for impairment 
of  a  minority  interest  in  a  medical  technologies  company, 
which reduced 2006 operating profit margins by approximately 
20 basis points compared to 2005.

Overview of Businesses within  
Medical Technologies Segment

The  Company’s  dental  technology  businesses  experienced 
high-single  digit  growth  in  2006  compared  to  2005.  Growth 
in the dental technology businesses was driven by continued 
strength in the instrument product lines as well as strong sales 
of  imaging  product  lines  in  North  America  and  Asia  driven 
by  new  product  introductions.  The  Company  completed  two 
acquisitions subsequent to December 31, 2006 which further 
enhanced  its  imaging  product  offerings.  Sybron  experienced 
low-double  digit  sales  growth  in  2006;  however,  all  Sybron 
sales  in  2006  are  reported  as  a  component  of  acquisition 
growth due to its May 2006 acquisition.

in  2006  compared 

Radiometer’s  acute  care  diagnostics  business  experienced 
mid-single  digit  growth 
to  2005. 
Radiometer’s sales improved in all major geographic regions 
with  particular  strength  in  sales  of  consumables  in  Europe 
resulting from broad based diagnostic instrument placements 
in the first half of 2006. 

Leica’s  life  science  instrumentation  business  experienced 
high-single digit growth in 2006 compared to 2005. Strength 
from the sale of stereo microscopes and specimen preparation 
equipment drove growth in Europe and Asia, and to a lesser 
extent  North  America.  Leica’s  sales  have  been  included  as 
a  component  of  sales  from  existing  businesses  since  the 
first  anniversary  of  the  acquisition  and  were  reported  as  a 
component of acquisition growth prior to that anniversary date. 
Vision has been consolidated with the segment’s results as of 
the date the Company gained control of Vision in November 
2006  and  its  sales  are  also  included  as  a  component  of 
acquisition growth for 2006.

manufacturers (OEMs) into various end-products. Many of the 
businesses  also  provide  services  to  support  their  products, 
including helping customers integrate and install the products 
and helping ensure product uptime. The Industrial Technologies 
segment  encompasses  two  strategic  businesses,  motion  and 
product  identification,  and  two  focused  niche  businesses, 
aerospace  and  defense,  and  sensors  &  controls.  These 
businesses produce and sell product identification equipment 
and  consumables;  motion,  position,  speed,  temperature, 
and  level  instruments  and  sensing  devices;  liquid  flow  and 
quality  measuring  devices;  safety  devices;  and  electronic 
and mechanical counting and controlling devices. In the third 
quarter  of  2007,  the  Company  disposed  of  the  power  quality 
businesses that were part of this segment and all current and 
prior year period results of the segment have been adjusted to 
exclude the results of these discontinued operations. 

Industrial Technologies  
Selected Financial Data

For the Year Ended December 31  
($ in millions)

Sales
Operating profit
Depreciation and 
amortization
Operating profit  
as a % of sales
Depreciation and 
amortization  
as a % of sales

2007
$ 3,153.4 
532.5

2006
$ 2,988.8
467.7

2005
$ 2,794.9
409.3

33

63.2

61.1

60.4

16.9%

15.7%

14.6%

2.0%

2.0%

2.2%

Components of Sales Growth

Industrial Technologies

Businesses in the Industrial Technologies segment manufacture 
products  and  sub-systems  that  are  typically  incorporated 
by  customers  and  systems  integrators  into  production  and 
packaging lines as well as incorporated by original equipment 

2007 vs. 2006

2006 vs. 2005

Existing businesses

Acquisitions

Currency exchange rates

Total

1.5%

0.5%

3.5%

5.5%

6.0%

1.0%

0.5%

7.5%

2007 Compared To 2006

Price 
increases  contributed  1.5%  of  sales  growth 
compared to 2006 which impact is reflected in sales from 
existing businesses.

Operating profit margin improvements in the segment’s existing 
businesses contributed 85 basis points to the overall operating 
margin improvement for 2007 as compared to 2006. This margin 
improvement was driven in part by continued margin expansion 
in  the  motion  businesses  reflecting  pricing  and  productivity 
initiatives as well as the impact of lower levels of lower-margin 
United  States  Postal  Service  (USPS)  sales  in  2007  compared 
to 2006 within the product identification business. In addition, 
during  2007,  the  segment  recorded  a  pre-tax  gain  of  $12 
million upon collection of indemnification proceeds related to 
a lawsuit, which improved operating profit margins by 40 basis 
points for 2007. These positive factors were partially offset by 
new acquisitions, restructuring activities, spending for product 
development and emerging market sales force initiatives, all of 
which are expected to have a positive impact in 2008.

Overview of Businesses within Industrial 
Technologies Segment

Motion. Sales in the Company’s motion businesses, representing 
approximately 34% of segment sales in 2007, increased 2.5% 
over  2006.  Sales  from  existing  businesses  accounted  for  a 
1.0% decrease in sales and currency translation accounted for 
3.5% growth in sales during 2007. There were no acquisitions 
in the business in 2007 or 2006.

During  2007,  the  motion  business  experienced  sales  growth 
primarily in the elevator markets as a result of global conversions 
to more energy efficient systems and new construction demand 
in Asia. Demand in OEM applications in Europe also contributed 
year-over-year  sales  growth.  These  growth  drivers,  however, 
were  more  than  offset  by  year-over-year  sales  declines 
resulting from weakness in certain technology end markets as 
well  as  declines  in  the  miniature  motors  business  reflecting 
reduced customer demand.

Product  Identification.  The  product  identification  busi-
nesses  accounted  for  approximately  28%  of  segment 
sales  in  2007.  Sales  from  the  Company’s  product  iden-
tification  businesses  increased  3.5%  in  2007  compared 
to 2006. Sales from existing businesses accounted for a 

1.0% decline while currency translation contributed 3.5% 
to  revenue  growth  and  acquisitions  contributed  1.0%  to 
revenue growth in 2007.

The  2007  decline  in  sales  from  existing  operations  resulted 
from the business completing several large systems installation 
projects  with  the  USPS  during  2006  which  did  not  repeat  in 
2007.  Sales  for  the  business’  non-USPS  marking  products 
grew at a mid-single digit rates during 2007 compared to 2006. 
Strong equipment and after-market sales, particularly in China, 
Latin  America  and  Europe,  were  the  primary  drivers  of  this 
growth  facilitated  by  increased  investments  in  the  business’ 
sales force and new product launches in these regions.

Focused Niche Businesses. The segment’s niche businesses in 
the aggregate experienced 10% sales growth in 2007 compared 
to  2006.  This  growth  was  primarily  driven  by  strong  sales 
growth from existing businesses in the Company’s aerospace 
and  defense  businesses,  partially  offset  by  sales  declines 
in  the  Company’s  sensors  and  controls  business,  reflecting 
continued  softness  in  the  semi-conductor  and  electronic 
assembly markets.

2006 Compared To 2005

Sales  growth  from  existing  businesses  was  due  primarily  to 
sales growth in the motion, aerospace and defense and sensor 
and  controls  businesses.  Price  increases,  which  are  included 
in  sales  from  existing  businesses,  contributed  approximately 
1.5% to overall sales growth compared to 2005. Several small 
acquisitions in 2005 and the first quarter of 2006 accounted for 
1% growth.

Operating profit margins for the segment were 15.7% in 2006 
compared to 14.6% in 2005. The overall improvement in operating 
profit  margins  was  driven  primarily  by  additional  leverage 
from  sales  growth,  on-going  cost  reductions  associated  with 
Danaher  Business  System  initiatives  completed  during  2005 
and 2006, and margin improvements in businesses acquired in 
prior years, which typically have higher cost structures than the 
Company’s  existing  operations.  Recently  acquired  businesses 
had no dilutive impact on overall operating profit margins for 
2006.  The  improvements  to  operating  profit  margins  were 
partially offset by the implementation of SFAS No. 123R which 
required  the  Company  to  record  approximately  $14.5  million 
of  stock  option  compensation  costs  and  reduced  operating 

34

profit margins by 45 basis points in 2006 compared with 2005. 
Operating  profit  margin  comparisons  for  2006  compared  to 
2005 are also negatively impacted by 35 basis points related 
to gains on sale of a business and the collection of a previously 
reserved  note  receivable  during  2005  and  were  positively 
impacted by 65 basis points related to a fourth quarter 2005 
loss from the settlement of patent infringement litigation not 
repeating in 2006.

Tools & Components

The Tools & Components segment is one of the largest producers 
and  distributors  of  general  purpose  and  specialty  mechanics 
hand  tools.  Other  products  manufactured  by  the  businesses 
in this segment include toolboxes and storage devices; diesel 
engine  retarders;  wheel  service  equipment;  drill  chucks;  and 
custom-designed fasteners and components.

Tools & Components Selected Financial Data

For the Year Ended December 31  
($ in millions)

Sales
Operating profit
Depreciation and  
amortization
Operating profit  
as a % of sales
Depreciation and  
amortization  
as a % of sales

2007
$ 1,336.6
175.6

2006
$ 1,350.8
194.1

2005
$ 1,294.5
199.3

20.8

21.4

22.8

13.1%

14.4%

15.4%

1.6%

1.6%

1.8%

Components of Sales Growth

2007 vs. 2006

2006 vs. 2005

35

Existing businesses

Product line divestiture

Currency exchange rates

Total

(0.5%)

(1.0%)

0.5%

(1.0%)

4.5%

0.0%

0.0%

4.5%

Overview of Businesses within Industrial 
Technologies Segment

Motion. Sales in the Company’s motion businesses, representing 
approximately 33% of segment sales in 2006, increased by 6% 
over  2005.  Sales  from  existing  businesses  accounted  for  5% 
growth; acquisitions accounted for 0.5% growth and currency 
translation contributed growth of 0.5%.

Sales  from  existing  businesses  increased  from  2005  levels 
due  primarily  to  broad  based  growth  across  the  standard 
and custom motor, drive and controls lines. This growth was 
somewhat offset by softness in certain technology end markets. 
The business also experienced continued growth in sales of its 
linear products during 2006. 

Product  Identification.  The  product  identification  businesses 
accounted for approximately 27% of segment sales in 2006. 
Sales  from  the  Company’s  product  identification  businesses 
increased 3.5% in 2006 compared to 2005. Existing businesses 
provided 2.5% growth. Favorable currency impacts accounted 
for  1%  growth.  Acquisitions  had  a  negligible  impact  on 
growth for 2006.

The increase in sales is due primarily to the increase in sales of 
laser and thermal transfer overlay equipment as well as sales 
of  consumables  and  services  in  North  America  and  Europe. 
These  increases  in  sales  were  offset  by  the  completion  of 
several large United States Postal Service (“USPS”) projects in 
the first half of 2006 at both AccuSort and Videojet. 

Focused  Niche  Businesses.  The  segment’s  niche  businesses 
in  the  aggregate  experienced  11.0%  sales  growth  in  2006 
compared to 2005. This growth was primarily driven by strong 
sales growth from existing businesses in the Company’s sensors 
and controls and aerospace and defense businesses.

 
2007 Compared To 2006

in same-store sales of hand tools at Sears/K-Mart continues to 

Sales from existing businesses for 2007 reflect the impact of 
certain  regulatory  requirements  that  became  effective  at  the 
beginning of 2007 which accelerated demand for the Company’s 
engine retarder products in 2006 and have adversely impacted 
demand  in  2007.  Price  increases  partially  offset  the  decline 
in sales and contributed approximately 2.5% of sales growth 
compared to 2006. The impact of that increase is reflected in 
sales from existing businesses.

Operating profit margins for the segment were 13.1% in 2007 
compared to 14.4% in 2006. Costs associated with workforce 
reductions  and  adjustments  to  production  levels  to  match 
demand in the engine retarder business decreased operating 
profit margins by 85 basis in 2007 compared with 2006. Lower 
sales volumes in the mechanics’ hand tool business with Sears/
K-Mart and increased lead costs in the wheel weight business 
also had a negative impact on the 2007 operating margins. In 
addition, operating profit margins were adversely impacted by 
40 basis points as a result of expenses incurred in connection 
with a fire in one of the business’ manufacturing facilities in 
China  and  restructuring  costs  incurred  primarily  in  the  fourth 
quarter of 2007 to close one facility and reduce headcount.

Overview of Businesses within the Tools & 
Components Segment

Mechanics’ hand tools sales, representing approximately 70% 
of segment sales in 2007, grew 1.0% in 2007 compared to 2006. 
The segment’s Matco business grew slightly during 2007 as the 
business benefited from recent product introductions and price 
increases which offset declines in distributor average purchase 
levels during 2007. The retail hand tool business experienced 
strength in China and in its export business to Europe, as well 
as certain of its retail channels. This performance, in large part, 
was  offset  by  a  decline  in  sales  to  Sears/K-Mart,  the  retail 
hand tools business’ largest customer. Year-over-year softness 

impact adversely the business. 

The segment’s niche businesses experienced mid-single digit 

sales declines during 2007 as compared to 2006. The impact 

of  the  regulatory  issue  noted  above  was  partially  offset  by 

improved  sales  performance  in  the  segment’s  wheel  service 

business  during  2007  driven  by  price  increases  necessary  to 

recover increased lead costs.

2006 Compared To 2005

Sales from existing businesses contributed substantially all of 

the growth for the segment in 2006, including approximately 

1.5%  growth  due  to  price  increases  that  the  Company 

implemented largely as a result of cost increases in steel and 

other commodities. 

Operating profit margins for the segment were 14.4% in 2006 

compared to 15.4% in 2005. Implementation of SFAS No. 123R 

in  the  first  quarter  of  2006  reduced  segment  operating  profit 

by  approximately  $6  million  in  2006  as  compared  to  2005, 

negatively  impacting  year-over-year  operating  margins  by  45 

basis points. The Company also incurred costs associated with 

exiting  a  small  product  line  during  the  second  half  of  2006 

which reduced 2006 operating profit margins by approximately 

30 basis points. Operating profit margins also declined during 

2006  due  to  lower  margin  products  accounting  for  a  larger 

proportion of sales within the segment as well as due to higher 

overall  freight  costs.  Finally,  year-over-year  operating  margin 

comparisons  were  negatively  impacted  by  approximately  40 

basis points as a result of a $5.3 million ($3.9 million after taxes) 

gain on the sale of real estate in 2005. The adverse impacts on 

operating margins described above were offset somewhat by 

the impact of leverage from higher sales levels, including the 

pricing actions implemented in 2006, as well as the benefit of 

restructuring actions taken in 2005.

36

Overview of Businesses within the Tools & 
Components Segment

Mechanics’  hand  tools  sales,  representing  approximately 
70% of segment sales, grew 5% in 2006 compared to 2005. 
The  sales  growth  was  driven  primarily  by  the  group’s  Matco 
business which achieved high-single digit growth during 2006 
driven by increases in both the number of distributors and their 
average  purchase  levels.  The  retail  mechanics’  hand  tools 
business also grew in the second half of 2006 compared to the 
second half of 2005 as sell-through at Sears, a major customer 
of the segment, improved from prior year levels. The business 
continued to experience growth with its other retail customers 
as  well  as  expanding  markets  for  the  business’  products  in 
China. The segment’s niche businesses experienced mid-single 
digit sales growth for 2006 compared to 2005 as strength in the 
truck box and engine retarder businesses was partially offset 
by weakness in the chuck business. 

Gross Profit

For the Year Ended December 31  
($ in millions)

Gross  profit  margins  from  continuing  operations  for  2006 
benefited  from  leverage  on  increased  sales  volume,  the  on-
going cost improvements in existing business units driven by 
our Danaher Business System processes and low-cost region 
initiatives, generally higher gross profit margins in businesses 
recently  acquired.  Increases  in  selling  prices  to  offset  some 
of  the  increases  in  cost  and  surcharges  related  to  steel  and 
other  commodity  purchases  also  contributed  to  gross  profit 
improvement. These improvements were partially offset by a 
change in mix to certain lower margin businesses including the 
Gilbarco Veeder-Root business and sales to the United States 
Postal Service in the product identification business. In addition, 
the Company recorded a loss on a product development venture 
in the first quarter of 2006 and incurred higher initial product 
costs  associated  with  the  Sybron  acquisition  in  the  second 
quarter of 2006, which further reduced gross margins for the 
year ended December 31, 2006. 

Operating Expenses

For the Year Ended December 31  
($ in millions)

2007

2006

2005

Sales

$ 11,025.9 

$  9,466.1

$  7,871.5

Selling, general and 

Sales

Cost of sales

Gross profit

Gross profit margin

5,985.0

5,040.9

45.7%

5,269.0

4,197.1

44.3%

4,467.3

3,404.2

43.2%

2007

2006

2005

$ 11,025.9

$ 9,466.1

$ 7,871.5

37

The increase in gross profit margins from continuing operations 
for  2007  as  compared  to  2006  resulted  from  leverage  on 
increased  sales  volume,  the  on-going  cost  improvements  in 
existing business units driven by our Danaher Business System 
processes and low-cost region initiatives and generally higher 
gross  profit  margins  in  businesses  recently  acquired  and 
increases in selling prices. Gross profit margins also improved 
due  to  lower-margin  sales  to  United  States  Postal  Service 
in  the  product  identification  business  comprising  a  smaller 
proportion of sales during 2007 compared to 2006. The gross 
margins for 2007 also benefited from the inclusion of a full year 
of results from higher-margin Sybron business as compared to 
2006 which only included seven months of Sybron results as a 
result  of  Sybron  acquisition  in  May  2006.  The  improvements 
were  partially  offset  by  higher  commodity  costs  incurred  in 
2007  for  which  full  recovery  in  the  form  of  price  increases 
dilutes reported margins.

administrative expenses

2,713.1

2,273.2

1,777.7

Research and 

development expenses

601.4

440.0

374.3

SG&A as a % of sales

24.6%

24.0%

22.6%

R&D as a % of sales

5.5%

4.6%

4.8%

Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage 
of  sales  increased  60  basis  points  during  2007  as  compared 
to  2006  levels.  The  year-over-year  increases  resulted  from 
(principally  Sybron  Dental 
recently  acquired  businesses 
and  Vision)  which  generally  have  higher  operating  expense 
structures,  compared  to  the  Company’s  other  businesses, 
as  well  as  increased  investment  in  sales  forces  in  emerging 
markets.  These  increases  were  partially  offset  by  operating 
leverage from higher sales during 2007 as compared to 2006. 
In  addition,  the  recovery  of  certain  previously  written-off 
indemnity receivable balances during 2007 favorably impacted 
selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage 
of  sales.  Selling,  general  and  administrative  expenses  as 
a  percentage  of  sales  were  higher  in  2006  as  compared  to 
2005 as a result of the higher operating expense structures of 

businesses acquired during 2006 as well as the implementation 
of SFAS No. 123R at the beginning of 2006 which required the 
Company to record approximately $55.0 million in stock option 
compensation costs.

Research  and  development  expenses,  consisting  principally 
of  internal  and  contract  engineering  personnel  costs,  as  a 
percentage of sales, were approximately 90 basis points higher 
in 2007 as compared to 2006. In 2007, the Company expensed 
approximately  $60.4  million  of 
in-process  research  and 
development related to the Tektronix acquisition as compared 
to  approximately  $6.5  million  of  in-process  research  and 
development expensed in 2006 related to the Vision acquisition. 
Newly acquired companies and their higher, relative research 
and development cost structures also contributed to the year-
over-year  increase.  Research  and  development  expenses  as 
a  percentage  of  sales  during  2006  were  consistent  with  the 
2005 level. The Company continues to invest in new product 
development  within  all  of  its  businesses,  with  particular 
emphasis on the medical technologies, test and measurement, 
environmental and product identification businesses.

Interest Costs And Financing Transactions

38

For a description of the Company’s outstanding indebtedness, 
please refer to “–Liquidity and Capital Resources – Financing 
Activities and Indebtedness” below.

Interest expense of $109.7 million in 2007 was approximately 
$30.3  million  higher  than  2006.  The  increase  is  primarily 
due  to  higher  average  debt  levels  during  2007,  due  to 
borrowings incurred to fund the 2007 acquisitions of Tektronix 
and  ChemTreat  and  the  2006  acquisitions  of  Sybron  and 
Vision.  Interest  expense  for  2006  was  higher  than  2005  by 
approximately $34.9 million. The increase in interest expense 
in 2006 compared to 2005 was also due to higher debt levels 
during  2006  as  compared  to  2005,  as  a  result  of  borrowings 
incurred to fund the acquisitions of Sybron Dental and Vision.

Interest income of $6.1 million, $8.0 million and $14.7 million 
was recognized in 2007, 2006 and 2005, respectively. Average 
invested cash balances were lower in 2007 compared to 2006 
due to employing cash balances to complete several acquisitions 
in  late  2006  and  throughout  2007  as  well  as  to  repurchase 
shares of Company common stock in 2007. In addition, lower 
interest  rates  prevailing  during  2007  contributed  to  the 

decrease in interest income. Average invested cash balances 
decreased  during  2006  compared  to  2005  due  to  employing 
cash  balances  to  complete  several  acquisitions  in  2005  and 
2006,  to  finance  repurchases  of  the  Company’s  outstanding 
common  stock  in  the  second  half  of  2005  and  to  repay  the 
previously  outstanding  Eurobonds  in  July  2005.  In  addition, 
2005 interest income reflects the collection of $4.6 million of 
interest  on  a  note  receivable  which  had  not  previously  been 
recorded due to collection risk.

Income Taxes 

General

The Company’s effective tax rate can be affected by changes in 
the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates 
(including as a result of business acquisitions and dispositions), 
changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, 
the  results  of  audits  and  examinations  of  previously  filed  tax 
returns (as discussed below) and changes in tax laws. The tax 
effect of significant unusual items or changes in tax regulations 
is  reflected  in  the  period  in  which  they  occur.  The  Company’s 
effective tax rate for 2007 differs from the United States federal 
statutory rate of 35% primarily as a result of lower effective tax 
rates on certain earnings from operations outside of the United 
States. No provisions for United States income taxes have been 
made with respect to earnings that are planned to be reinvested 
indefinitely  outside  the  United  States.  The  amount  of  United 
States  income  taxes  that may be  applicable  to such  earnings 
is  not  readily  determinable  given  the  various  tax  planning 
alternatives  the  Company  could  employ  should  it  decide  to 
repatriate these earnings. As of December 31, 2007, the total 
amount of earnings planned to be reinvested indefinitely outside 
the United States was approximately $5.4 billion.

The amount of income taxes the Company pays is subject to 
ongoing  audits  by  federal,  state  and  foreign  tax  authorities, 
which  often  result  in  proposed  assessments.    Management 
performs  a  comprehensive  review  of  its  global  tax  positions 
on  a  quarterly  basis  and  accrues  amounts  for  potential 
tax  contingencies.  Based  on  these  reviews  and  the  result 
of  discussions  and  resolutions  of  matters  with  certain  tax 
authorities  and  the  closure  of  tax  years  subject  to  tax  audit, 
reserves are adjusted as necessary.  However, future results may 
include favorable or unfavorable adjustments to the Company’s 
estimated  tax  liabilities  in  the  period  the  assessments  are 

determined or resolved.  Additionally, the jurisdictions in which 
the  Company’s  earnings  and/or  deductions  are  realized  may 
differ from current estimates. 

Year-Over-Year Changes in Tax Provision  
and Effective Tax Rate

The Company adopted the provisions of FASB Interpretation 
No.  48,  Accounting  for  Uncertainty  in  Income  Taxes,  on 
January  1,  2007.  As  a  result  of  the  implementation  of 
Interpretation  No.  48,  the  Company  recognized  a  decrease 
in  the  liability  for  unrecognized  tax  benefits  of  $63  million, 
which  was  accounted  for  as  an  increase  to  the  January  1, 
2007 balance of retained earnings.  

The  Company’s  effective  tax  rate  related  to  continuing 
operations for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 
2005 was 25.8%, 22.4% and 27.3%, respectively.

The effective tax rate for 2007 of 25.8% reflects net discrete 
tax benefits of approximately $21 million, or $0.07 per diluted 
share. New tax legislation that was signed into law in several 
taxing  jurisdictions  during  2007,  most  notably  in  Germany 
and  Denmark,  reduced  income  tax  rates  for  2008  and  future 
periods  which  resulted  in  a  reduction  in  the  Company’s 
deferred  tax  liabilities  and  a  like  reduction  in  2007  income 
tax expense as required under SFAS No. 109, Accounting for 
Income  Taxes.  The  lower  statutory  rates  are  expected  to  be 
offset  by  other  statutory  changes  in  these  jurisdictions,  such 
that the Company’s effective tax rate in future years will not 
be  materially  reduced  as  a  result  of  the  legislation.  Partially 
offsetting  the  benefit  from  the  above  tax  rate  reduction  was 
the effect of establishing income tax reserves during the year 
related to uncertain tax positions in various taxing jurisdiction, 
net of the reduction of tax reserves associated with Sweden. 
Refer to Note 13 in the Consolidated Financial Statements for 
additional information.

The Company’s effective tax rate from continuing operations of 
22.4% for 2006 was 4.9% lower than the effective tax rate for 
2005. The effective tax rate for 2006 benefited by $69 million, 
or  $0.21  per  diluted  share,  as  a  result  of  the  reduction  of 
valuation allowances related to foreign tax credit carryforwards 
that are now expected to be realized, the favorable resolution 
of  examinations  of  certain  previously  filed  returns  which 
resulted  in  the  reduction  of  previously  provided  tax  reserves 

and the impact of a change in German tax law which entitles 
the  Company  to  cash  payments  in  lieu  of  previously  held 
unrecognized tax credits. These positive impacts were partially 
mitigated by a higher effective tax rate applicable to the second 
quarter 2006 gain on the sale of shares of First Technology, plc 
(see Note 2 to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements) 
which increased the overall provision by $1.5 million compared 
to what would have been incurred using the Company’s overall 
effective tax rate. 

The effective tax rate for 2008 is expected to be approximately 27%.

Inflation

Inflation  did  not  significantly  impact  the  Company’s  overall 
results of operations in either 2007 or 2006. 

Financial Instruments And Risk Management

The Company is exposed to market risk from changes in interest 
rates,  foreign  currency  exchange  rates  and  credit  risk,  which 
could impact its results of operations and financial condition. 
The  Company  addresses  its  exposure  to  these  risks  through 
its  normal  operating  and  financing  activities.  In  addition,  the 
Company’s broad-based business activities help to reduce the 
impact that volatility in any particular area or related areas may 
have on its operating earnings as a whole.

Interest Rate Risk

The  fair  value  of  fixed-rate  long-term  debt  is  sensitive  to 
changes in interest rates. Sensitivity analysis is one technique 
used to evaluate this potential impact. Based on a hypothetical, 
immediate  100  basis-point  increase  in  interest  rates  at 
December  31,  2007,  the  fair  value  of  the  Company’s  fixed-
rate  long-term  debt,  excluding  the  LYONs,  would  decrease 
by  approximately  $74  million.  The  LYONs  have  not  been 
included in this calculation as the value of the convertible debt 
is  primarily  derived  from  the  LYONs  conversion  feature.  This 
methodology  has  certain  limitations,  and  these  hypothetical 
gains or losses would not be reflected in the Company’s results 
of  operations  or  financial  condition  under  current  accounting 
principles.  In  January  2002,  the  Company  entered  into  two 
interest  rate  swap  agreements  for  the  term  of  the  $250 
million  aggregate  principal  amount  of  6.1%  notes  due  2008 
having an aggregate notional principal amount of $100 million 

39

whereby  the  effective  interest  rate  on  $100  million  of  these 
notes is the six month LIBOR rate plus approximately 0.425%. 
In  accordance  with  SFAS  No.  133,  Accounting  for  Derivative 
Instruments and Hedging Activities, as amended, the Company 
accounts  for  these  swap  agreements  as  fair  value  hedges. 
These instruments qualify as “effective” or “perfect” hedges. 
Other than the above noted swap arrangements, there were no 
material derivative financial instrument transactions during any 
of the periods presented. Additionally, the Company does not 
have significant commodity contracts or other derivatives.

will continue to affect the reported amount of sales, profit, and 

assets and liabilities in the Company’s consolidated financial 

statements. The Eurobond Notes described below, as well as 

the  European  component  of  the  commercial  paper  program, 

which  as  of  December  31,  2007  had  aggregate  outstanding 

borrowings  in  an  amount  equivalent  to  $969  million,  provide 

a  natural  hedge  to  a  portion  of  the  Company’s  European  net 

asset position.

Credit Risk

Exchange Rate Risk 

Although the Company has a U.S. dollar functional currency 
for reporting purposes, it has manufacturing sites throughout 
the world and a substantial portion of its sales are generated 
in foreign currencies. Sales by subsidiaries operating outside 
of  the  United  States  are  translated  into  U.S.  dollars  using 
exchange  rates  effective  during  the  respective  period. 
As  a  result,  the  Company  is  exposed  to  movements  in  the 
exchange  rates  of  various  currencies  against  the  United 
States  dollar.  In  particular,  the  Company  has  more  sales  in 
European currencies than it has expenses in those currencies.  
Therefore, when European currencies strengthen or weaken 
against  the  U.S.  dollar,  operating  profits  are  increased  or 
decreased, respectively. 

The Company has generally accepted the exposure to exchange 
rate movements without using derivative financial instruments 
to  manage  this  risk.  Therefore,  both  positive  and  negative 
movements in currency exchange rates against the U.S. dollar 

Financial  instruments  that  potentially  subject  the  Company 

to significant concentrations of credit risk consist of cash and 

temporary  investments,  interest  rate  swap  agreements  and 

trade accounts receivable. The Company is exposed to credit 

losses  in  the  event  of  nonperformance  by  counter  parties  to 

its financial instruments.  The Company anticipates, however, 

that counter parties will be able to fully satisfy their obligations 

under  these  instruments.  The  Company  places  cash  and 

temporary investments and its interest rate swap agreements 

with various high-quality financial institutions throughout the 

world, and exposure is limited at any one institution.  Although 

the  Company  does  not  obtain  collateral  or  other  security 

to  support  these  financial  instruments,  it  does  periodically 

evaluate  the  credit  standing  of  the  counter  party  financial 

institutions.  In  addition,  concentrations  of  credit  risk  arising 

from trade accounts receivable are limited due to the diversity 

of the Company’s customers. The Company performs ongoing 

credit  evaluations  of  its  customers’  financial  conditions  and 

obtains collateral or other security when appropriate.

40

Liquidity And Capital Resources

Overview of Cash Flows and Liquidity

                                                                                                                           For the Year Ended December 31

($ in millions)

Operating cash flows from continuing operations

Operating cash flows from discontinued operations

Net cash flows from operating activities

Purchases of property, plant and equipment

Cash paid for acquisitions

Cash paid for investment in acquisition target and  

other marketable securities

Proceeds from sale of investment and divestitures

Other sources

Investing cash flows from continued operations

Investing cash flows from discontinued operations

Net cash used in investing activities

Proceeds from the issuance of common stock

Borrowings, net of repayments

Purchase of treasury stock

Payment of dividends

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

2007

$ 1,699.3

(53.5)

1,645.8

(162.1)

(3,576.6)

(23.2)

301.3

15.5

(3,445.1)

(0.7)

(3,445.8)

733.0

1,131.0

(117.5)

 (34.3)

1,712.2

2006

$ 1,530.8

16.5

1,547.3

(136.4)

(2,656.1)

(84.1)

98.5

10.0

(2,768.1)

(1.3)

(2,769.4)

98.4

1,145.0

--

 (24.6)

1,218.8

2005

$ 1,189.3

14.5

1,203.8

(119.7)

(885.1)

--

22.1

18.8

(963.9)

(1.5)

(965.4)

59.9

(292.2)

(257.7) 

(21.6)

(511.6)

41

•	 Operating	cash	flow	from	continuing	operations,	a	key	source	of	the	Company’s	liquidity,	increased	$168.5	million,	or	approximately	
11.0% as compared to 2006. Earnings growth contributed $104.8 million to the increase in operating cash flow from continuing 
operations in 2007 compared to 2006, and non-cash stock compensation expense and increases in depreciation and amortization 
also positively impacted cash flow. Operating working capital, which the Company defines as trade accounts receivable plus 
inventory less accounts payable, was a net source of cash flow in 2007 despite higher sales levels as overall operating working 
capital turns improved from the levels experienced during 2006. Operating working capital contributed $69 million to operating 
cash flow during 2007 as compared to $31 million contributed to operating cash flow during 2006.

•	 As	of	December	31,	2007,	the	Company	held	$239.1	million	of	cash	and	cash	equivalents.
•	 Acquisitions	constituted	the	most	significant	use	of	cash	in	all	periods	presented.	The	Company	acquired	12	companies	and	
product lines during 2007 and completed the acquisition of the remaining shares of Vision not owned as of December 31, 2006, 
for total consideration of $3.6 billion in cash, including transaction costs and net of cash and debt acquired. The acquisition of 
Tektronix in November 2007 for total consideration of approximately $2.8 billion, including transaction costs and net of cash 
acquired, and the acquisition of ChemTreat in July 2007 for a cash purchase price of $425 million including transaction costs, 
constituted the largest acquisitions during the period.

•	 During	2007,	the	Company	completed	the	sale	of	its	power	quality	business	generating	approximately	$275	million	of	net	

cash proceeds.

•	 The	 Company	 funded	 the	 purchase	 price	 of	 the	 Tektronix	 acquisition	 with	 proceeds	 from	 the	 issuance	 of	 commercial	 paper	
borrowings and the net proceeds from the Company’s November 2007 common stock offering, and to a lesser extent from available 
cash. Subsequent to the acquisition, the Company refinanced a portion of the commercial paper borrowings with the net proceeds 
from the Company’s December 2007 offering of 5.625% Senior Notes due 2018. The Company financed the ChemTreat acquisition 
primarily with proceeds from the issuance of commercial paper and to a lesser extent from available cash.

Operating Activities

The  Company  continues 
to  generate  substantial  cash 
from  operating  activities  and  remains  in  a  strong  financial 
position, with resources available for reinvestment in existing 
businesses,  strategic  acquisitions  and  managing  its  capital 
structure  on  a  short  and  long-term  basis.  Cash  flows  from 
operating  activities  can  fluctuate  significantly  from  period  to 
period  as  working  capital  needs  and  the  timing  of  payments 
for items such as income taxes, pension funding decisions and 
other items impact reported cash flows.

$162 million for 2007 increased $26 million from $136 million 

during 2006, primarily due to capital spending relating to new 

acquisitions  and  increased  spending  related  to  investments 

in  the  Company’s  low-cost  region  sourcing  initiatives,  new 

products and other growth opportunities. Capital expenditures 

are made primarily for increasing capacity, replacing equipment, 

supporting new product development and improving information 

technology  systems.  In  2008,  the  Company  expects  capital 

spending to exceed $200 million, though actual expenditures 

will ultimately depend on business conditions. 

Operating cash flow from continuing operations, a key source 
of the Company’s liquidity, was approximately $1.7 billion for 
2007, an increase of $169 million, or approximately 11% as 
compared to 2006. Earnings growth contributed $105 million 
to  the  increase  in  operating  cash  flow  in  2007  compared 
to  2006.  Operating  cash  flows  during  2007  benefited  from 
increases in non-cash depreciation and amortization charges 
of approximately $53 million compared to 2006. The increase 
in  depreciation  and  amortization  is  primarily  related  to 
recent  acquisitions.  Also  benefiting  operating  cash  flows 
during  2007  is  $68  million  of  non-cash  acquisition  related 
charges  incurred  primarily  related  to  acquired  in-process 
research  and  development  activities,  acquired  inventory 
and  acquired  deferred  revenue  in  connection  with  the 
acquisition  of  Tektronix.  Because  this  expense  adversely 
impacts  net  earnings  but  does  not  require  the  use  of  cash, 
it  positively  impacts  the  comparison  of  operating  cash  flow 
as  a  percentage  of  net  earnings.  Operating  working  capital 
contributed  approximately  $38  million  to  the  increase  in 
operating  cash  flow  during  2007  as  compared  to  2006.  The 
increase in operating working capital is primarily a result of 
improvements in the Company’s inventory turnover and days 
payables  outstanding  in  2007.  These  improvements  were 
somewhat  offset  by  an  increase  in  income  tax  payments 
related to continuing operations of approximately $74 million 
during 2007 as compared to 2006. 

Investing Activities

Cash flows relating to investing activities consist primarily of 
cash used for acquisitions and capital expenditures and cash 
flows from divestitures of businesses or assets. Net cash used 
in investing activities related to continuing operations was $3.4 
billion during 2007 compared to $2.8 billion of net cash used 
in  the  comparable  period  of  2006.  Gross  capital  spending  of 

Net  cash  used  in  investing  activities  related  to  continuing 

operations was $2.8 billion in 2006 compared to approximately 

$965  million  in  2005.  Gross  capital  spending  increased  $17 

million in 2006 from 2005 levels to $138 million. 

As discussed below, the Company completed several business 

acquisitions  and  divestitures  during  2007,  2006  and  2005. 

All  of  the  acquisitions  during  this  period  have  resulted  in  the 

recognition of goodwill in the Company’s financial statements. 

This goodwill typically arises because the purchase prices for 

these businesses reflect the competitive nature of the process 

by which the businesses are acquired and the complementary 

strategic  fit  and  resulting  synergies  these  businesses  are 

expected  to  bring  to  existing  operations.  For  a  discussion  of 

other factors resulting in the recognition of goodwill see Notes 2 

and 6 to the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.

2007 Acquisitions and Divestiture

In November 2007, the Company acquired all of the outstanding 

shares  of  Tektronix,  Inc.  for  total  cash  consideration  of 

approximately $2.8 billion, including transaction costs and net 

of cash and debt acquired. The Company funded the purchase 

price  of  the  Tektronix  acquisition  with  proceeds  from  the 

issuance of commercial paper borrowings and the Company’s 

November  2007  common  stock  offering  (described  below), 

and  to  a  lesser  extent  from  available  cash.  Subsequent  to 

the  acquisition,  the  Company  refinanced  a  portion  of  the 

commercial  paper  borrowings  with  the  proceeds  from  the 

Company’s  December  2007  offering  of  the  2018  Notes 

(described below). 

In  July  2007,  the  Company  acquired  all  of  the  outstanding 

shares of ChemTreat for a cash purchase price of $425 million 

including  transaction  costs.  No  cash  was  acquired  in  the 

42

transaction.  The  Company  financed  the  acquisition  primarily 
with proceeds from the issuance of commercial paper and to a 
lesser extent from available cash. 

assumed  debt  primarily  with  proceeds  from  the  issuance  of 
commercial paper and to a lesser extent from available cash.

In  addition,  the  Company  acquired  ten  other  companies  or 
product  lines  during  2007  for  consideration  of  approximately 
$273  million  in  cash,  including  transaction  costs  and  net  of 
cash acquired. Each company acquired is a manufacturer and 
assembler  of  instrumentation  products,  in  market  segments 
such  as  test  and  measurement,  dental  technologies,  product 
identification,  sensors  and  controls  and  environmental 
instruments.  These  companies  were  all  acquired 
to 
complement existing units of the Professional Instrumentation, 
Medical Technologies or Industrial Technologies segments. The 
aggregate annual sales of these ten acquired businesses at the 
time of their respective acquisitions, in each case based on the 
company’s revenues for its last completed fiscal year prior to 
the acquisition, were $123 million.

In addition to the ten acquisitions noted above, as discussed 
below, during the first quarter of 2007, the Company completed 
the acquisition of the remaining shares of Vision not owned by 
the Company as of December 31, 2006 for cash consideration 
of approximately $96 million. 

In  July  2007,  the  Company  completed  the  sale  of  its  power 
quality business generating approximately $275 million of net 
cash proceeds. This business, which was part of the Industrial 
Technologies  segment  and  designs  and  manufactures  power 
quality  and  reliability  products  and  services,  had  aggregate 
annual  revenues  of  approximately  $130  million  in  2006.  The 
Company used the proceeds from this sale for general corporate 
purposes, including debt reduction and acquisitions.

2006 Acquisitions

In  May  2006,  the  Company  acquired  all  of  the  outstanding 
shares of Sybron for total cash consideration of approximately 
$2  billion,  including  transaction  costs  and  net  of  $94  million 
of  cash  acquired,  and  assumed  approximately  $182  million 
of  debt.  Sybron  is  a  leading  manufacturer  of  a  broad  range 
of  products  for  the  dental  professional  and  had  revenues  of 
approximately  $650  million  in  its  last  completed  fiscal  year 
prior to the acquisition. Substantially all of the assumed debt 
was repaid or refinanced prior to December 31, 2006. Danaher 
financed  the  acquisition  of  shares  and  the  refinancing  of  the 

In addition, in the last quarter of 2006 and first quarter of 2007, 
the Company acquired all of the outstanding shares of Vision 
for  an  aggregate  cash  purchase  price  of  approximately  $525 
million,  including  transaction  costs  and  net  of  $113  million 
of  cash  acquired  and  assumed  $1.5  million  of  debt.  Of  this 
purchase price, $96 million was paid during 2007 to acquire the 
remaining shares of Vision that the Company did not own as 
of December 31, 2006 and for transaction costs. The Company 
financed  the  transaction  through  a  combination  of  available 
cash  and  the  issuance  of  commercial  paper.  Vision,  based  in 
Australia, manufactures and markets automated instruments, 
antibodies  and  biochemical  reagents  used  for  biopsy-based 
detection of cancer and infectious diseases, and had revenues 
of  $86  million  in  its  last  completed  fiscal  year  prior  to  the 
acquisition. The pairing of Vision with the Company’s existing 
life science instrumentation business, Leica, has significantly 
broadened the Company’s product offerings in the anatomical 
pathology  market  and  has  expanded  the  sales  and  growth 
opportunities  for  both  the  Leica  and  Vision  businesses.  The 
Company  believes  that  the  pairing  of  Leica  and  Vision  has 
also  created  a  broader  base  for  the  potential  acquisition  of 
complementary businesses in the life sciences industry.

Total  consideration  for  the  other  nine  businesses  acquired 
during 2006 was approximately $213 million in cash, including 
transaction  costs  and  net  of  cash  acquired.  In  general,  each 
company  is  a  manufacturer  and  assembler  of  environmental 
instrumentation,  medical  equipment  or  industrial  products, 
in  the  market  segments  of  test  and  measurement,  acute 
care  diagnostics,  water  quality,  product  identification  and 
sensors  and  controls.  These  companies  were  all  acquired  to 
complement existing units of the Professional Instrumentation, 
Medical Technologies or Industrial Technologies segments. The 
aggregate annual revenues of these nine acquired businesses, 
at the time of their respective acquisitions, in each case based 
on the acquired company’s revenues for its last completed fiscal 
year prior to the acquisition, were approximately $140 million. 

In  the  first  half  of  2006,  the  Company  purchased  and  subse-
quently sold shares of First Technology plc, a U.K. - based pub-
lic  company,  in  connection  with  the  Company’s  unsuccessful 
bid to acquire First Technology. First Technology also paid the 
Company  a  break-up  fee  of  approximately  $3  million.  During 

43

the  second  quarter  of  2006  the  Company  recorded  a  pre-tax 
gain of approximately $14 million ($8.9 million after-tax, or ap-
proximately $0.03 per diluted share) in connection with these 
matters, net of related transaction costs, which is included in 
“other  expense  (income),  net”  in  the  accompanying  Consoli-
dated Condensed Statement of Earnings.

Disposals of fixed assets and land yielded approximately $10 
million of cash proceeds during 2006 due to the sale of three 
parcels of real estate and miscellaneous equipment. 

2005 Acquisitions

In  the  first  quarter  of  2005  the  Company  acquired  all  of  the 
outstanding  shares  of  Linx  Printing  Technologies  PLC,  a 
publicly-held  U.K  based  coding  and  marking  business,  for 
$171  million  in  cash,  including  transaction  costs  and  net  of 
cash acquired of $2 million. Linx complements the Company’s 
product  identification  businesses  and  had  annual  revenue  of 
approximately $93 million in 2004. 

In  August  2005,  the  Company  acquired  all  of  the  outstanding 
shares  of  German-based  Leica  Microsystems  AG,  for  an 
aggregate  purchase  price  of  €210  million  in  cash,  including 
transaction costs and net of cash acquired of €12 million and 
the  assumption  and  repayment  at  closing  of  €125  million  of 
outstanding  Leica  debt  ($429  million  in  aggregate  as  of  the 
date of the acquisition). The Company funded this acquisition 
and the repayment of debt assumed using available cash and 
through borrowings under uncommitted lines of credit totaling 
$222  million,  which  have  subsequently  been  repaid.  Leica 
complements  the  Company’s  medical  technologies  business 
and  had  annual  revenues  of  approximately  $540  million  in 
2004  (excluding  the  approximately  $120  million  of  revenue 
attributable  to  the  semiconductor  business  that  has  been 
divested, as described below). In September 2005, the Company 
also  completed  the  sale  of  Leica’s  semiconductor  equipment 
business which was held for sale at the time of the acquisition. 

In  addition  to  Linx  and  Leica,  the  Company  acquired  eleven 
smaller  companies  and  product  lines  during  2005  for  total 
consideration  of  $285  million  in  cash,  including  transaction 
costs  and  net  of  cash  acquired.  In  general,  each  company  is 
a  manufacturer  and  assembler  of  environmental  or  instru-
mentation products, in markets such as medical technologies, 
test  and  measurement,  sensors  and  controls,  environmental,  

product  identification,  aerospace  and  defense  and  motion. 
These  companies  were  all  acquired  to  complement  existing 
units  of  the  Professional  Instrumentation,  Medical  Technolo-
gies  or  Industrial  Technologies  segments.  The  aggregate  an-
nual revenues of these eleven acquired businesses at the time 
of  their  respective  acquisitions,  in  each  case  based  on  the 
acquired company’s revenues for its last completed fiscal year 
prior to the acquisition, were approximately $260 million. 

In June 2005, the Company divested one insignificant business 
that was reported as a continuing operation within the Industrial 
Technologies segment for aggregate proceeds of $12.1 million 
in  cash  net  of  related  transaction  expenses.  Sales  related 
to  this  business  included  in  the  Company’s  results  for  2005 
were $7.5 million. Net cash proceeds received on the sale are 
included in “Proceeds from Divestitures” in the accompanying 
Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows.

In  June  2005,  the  Company  collected  $14.6  million  in  full 
payment of a retained interest that was in the form of a $10 
million note receivable and an equity interest arising from the 
sale of a prior business. The Company had recorded this note 
net of applicable allowances and had not previously recognized 
interest  income  on  the  note  due  to  uncertainties  associated 
with  collection  of  the  principal  balance  of  the  note  and  the 
related  interest.  Cash  proceeds  from  the  collection  of  the 
principal balance of $10 million are included in “Proceeds from 
Divestitures” in the accompanying Consolidated Statement of 
Cash Flows.

Disposals of fixed assets yielded approximately $19 million 
of cash proceeds during 2005, primarily related to a sale of 
a building.

Financing Activities and Indebtedness

Overview

Financing  cash  flows  consist  primarily  of  proceeds  from  the 
issuance  of  commercial  paper,  common  stock  and  notes, 
repayments  of  indebtedness,  repurchases  of  common  stock 
and  payments  of  dividends  to  shareholders.  Financing 
activities provided cash of $1.7 billion during 2007 compared 
to  $1.2  billion  of  cash  provided  during  2006.  The  increase  in 
cash generated from financing activities was primarily due to: 
commercial paper borrowings used to finance the acquisition of 

44

ChemTreat and a portion of the acquisition of Tektronix; and the 
proceeds from the November 2007 common stock offering and 
the December 2007 offering of the 2018 Notes that were used 
to finance the acquisition of Tektronix, in each case net of debt 
repayments,  amounts  paid  for  repurchases  of  common  stock 
and dividends paid during 2007.

Total debt was $3,726 million at December 31, 2007 compared 
to $2,434 million at December 31, 2006. The Company’s debt 
financing as of December 31, 2007 consisted primarily of:

•	 $240	(€164 million) million of outstanding Euro 

denominated commercial paper;

•	 $1,311	million	of	outstanding	U.S.	dollar	denominated	

commercial paper;

•	 $250	million	aggregate	principal	amount	of	6.1%	notes	due	
2008 (subject to the interest rate swaps described below);

•	 $730	million	(€500 million) aggregate principal 

amount of 4.5% guaranteed Eurobond Notes due 2013 
(“Eurobond Notes”);

•	 $500	million	aggregate	principal	amount	of	5.625%	Senior	

Notes due 2018;

•	 $606	million	of	zero	coupon	Liquid	Yield	Option	Notes	due	

2021 (“LYONs”); and

•	 $89	million	of	other	borrowings.	

The  Company  does  not  have  any  rating  downgrade  triggers 
that  would  accelerate  the  maturity  of  a  material  amount  of 
outstanding debt, except as follows. Under each of the Eurobond 
Notes  and  the  2018  Notes,  if  the  Company  experiences  a 
change of control and a rating downgrade of a specified nature 
within a specified period following the change of control, the 
Company  will  be  required  to  offer  to  repurchase  the  notes  at 
a  price  equal  to  101%  of  the  principal  amount  plus  accrued 
interest in the case of 2018 Notes, or the principal amount plus 
accrued interest in the case of Eurobond Notes. A downgrade 
in  the  Company’s  credit  rating  would  increase  the  cost  of 
borrowings under the Company’s commercial paper program and 
credit facilities, and could limit, or in the case of a significant 
downgrade, preclude the Company’s ability to issue commercial 
paper. The Company’s outstanding indentures and comparable 
instruments contain customary covenants including for example 
limits  on  the  incurrence  of  secured  debt  and  sale/leaseback 
transactions. None of these covenants are considered restrictive 
to the Company’s operations and as of December 31, 2007, the 
Company was in compliance with all of its debt covenants. 

Commercial Paper Program and Credit Facilities

The Company satisfies its short-term liquidity needs primarily 
through issuances of U.S. dollar and Euro commercial paper. 
Under  the  Company’s  U.S.  and  Euro  commercial  paper 
programs,  the  Company  or  a  subsidiary  of  the  Company, 
as  applicable,  may  issue  and  sell  unsecured,  short-term 
promissory  notes  in  aggregate  principal  amount  not  to 
exceed  $4.0  billion.  Since  the  credit  facilities  described 
below provide credit support for the program, the $2.5 billion 
of  availability  under  the  credit  facilities  has  the  practical 
effect  of  reducing  from  $4.0  billion  to  $2.5  billion  the 
maximum amount of commercial paper that the Company can 
issue  under  the  program.  Commercial  paper  notes  are  sold 
at a discount and have a maturity of not more than 90 days 
from the date of issuance. Borrowings under the program are 
available for general corporate purposes, including financing 
acquisitions. The Company has classified $1.5 billion of the 
borrowings  under  the  commercial  paper  program  as  long-
term borrowings in the accompanying Consolidated Balance 
Sheet  as  the  Company  has  the  intent  and  the  ability,  as 
supported by the availability of the Credit Facility (described 
below), to refinance these borrowings for at least one year 
from  the  balance  sheet  date.  The  remaining  commercial 
paper borrowings are classified as a current obligation.

During 2007, the Company utilized its commercial paper program, 
in  part,  to  fund  the  acquisitions  of  ChemTreat  and  Tektronix. 
Operating cash flow and the proceeds from the November 2007 
common  stock  offering,  in  the  case  of  Tektronix,  were  also 
utilized to fund the acquisition. The proceeds from the December 
2007  offering  of  the  2018  Notes  were  subsequently  utilized 
to  reduce  outstanding  borrowings  under  the  program.  As  of 
December 31, 2007, $1,551 million was outstanding under the 
Company’s global commercial paper program, including $1,311 
million  outstanding  under  the  U.S.  dollar  commercial  paper 
program  with  a  weighted  average  interest  rate  of  4.6%  and 
an average maturity of 12 days and $240 million outstanding 
under the Euro-denominated commercial paper program (€164 
million) with a weighted average interest rate of 5.1% and an 
average maturity of 32 days.

Credit  support  for  part  of  the  commercial  paper  program  is 
provided by an unsecured $1.5 billion multicurrency revolving 
credit facility (the “Credit Facility”) which expires on April 25, 
2012. The Credit Facility can also be used for working capital 
and other general corporate purposes. Interest is based on, at 

45

the Company’s option, (1) a LIBOR-based formula is dependent 
in part on the Company’s credit rating, or (2) a formula based on 
Bank of America’s prime rate or on the Federal funds rate plus 
50 basis points, or (3) the rate of interest bid by a particular 
lender for a particular loan under the facility. The Credit Facility 
requires the Company to maintain a consolidated leverage ratio 
of 0.65 to 1.00 or less.

In  addition,  in  connection  with  the  financing  of  the  Tektronix 
acquisition  in  November  2007,  the  Company  entered  into 
a  $1.9  billion  unsecured  revolving  bridge  loan  facility  (the 
“Bridge  Facility”)  which  expires  on  November  11,  2008.  The 
Bridge Facility also provides credit support for the commercial 
paper program and can also be used for working capital and 
other  general  corporate  purposes.  Interest  is  based  on,  at 
the  Company’s  option,  either  (1)  a  LIBOR-based  formula  that 
is  dependent  in  part  on  the  Company’s  credit  rating,  or  (2)  a 
formula based on the prime rate as published in the Wall Street 
Journal or on the Federal funds rate plus 50 basis points. The 
Bridge Facility requires the Company to maintain a consolidated 
leverage  ratio  of  0.65  to  1.00  or  less,  and  is  required  to  be 
prepaid with the net cash proceeds of certain equity or debt 
issuances by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

Together  with  the  Company’s  pre-existing  $1.5  billion  credit 
facility, the Bridge Facility increased the Company’s aggregate 
credit facilities to $3.4 billion. In December 2007, the amount 
of the Bridge Facility was reduced by $0.9 billion leaving the 
amount of the Bridge Facility at $1.0 billion and the aggregate 
amount of the Company’s credit facilities at $2.5 billion, in each 
case as of December 31, 2007. There were no borrowings under 
either the Credit Facility or the Bridge Facility during 2007.

Other Long-Term Indebtedness

In  December  2007,  the  Company  completed  an  underwritten 
public  offering  of  $500  million  aggregate  principal  amount 
of  5.625%  senior  notes  due  2018.  The  net  proceeds,  after 
expenses and the underwriters’ discount, were approximately 
$493.4  million,  which  were  used  to  repay  a  portion  of  the 
commercial paper issued to finance the acquisition of Tektronix. 
The Company may redeem the notes at any time prior to their 
maturity  at  a  redemption  price  equal  to  the  greater  of  the 
principal amount of the notes to be redeemed, or the sum of 
the  present  values  of  the  remaining  scheduled  payments  of 
principal and interest plus 25 basis points. 

On  July  21,  2006,  a  financing  subsidiary  of  the  Company 
issued  the  Eurobond  Notes  in  a  private  placement  outside 
the U.S. Payment obligations under these Eurobond Notes are 
guaranteed by the Company. The net proceeds of the offering, 
after  the  deduction  of  underwriting  commissions  but  prior 
to  the  deduction  of  other  issuance  costs,  were €496  million 
($627  million)  and  were  used  to  pay  down  a  portion  of  the 
Company’s  outstanding  commercial  paper  and  for  general 
corporate purposes. The Company may redeem the notes upon 
the  occurrence  of  specified,  adverse  changes  in  tax  laws  or 
interpretations under such laws, at a redemption price equal to 
the principal amount of the notes to be redeemed.

In 2001, the Company issued $830 million (value at maturity) in 
LYONs. The net proceeds to the Company were $505 million, 
of  which  approximately  $100  million  was  used  to  pay  down 
debt and the balance was used for general corporate purposes, 
including acquisitions. The LYONs carry a yield to maturity of 
2.375% (with contingent interest payable as described below). 
Holders  of  the  LYONs  may  convert  each  of  their  LYONs  into 
14.5352  shares  of  Danaher  common  stock  (in  the  aggregate 
for  all  LYONs,  approximately  12.0  million  shares  of  Danaher 
common stock) at any time on or before the maturity date of 
January  22,  2021.  As  of  December  31,  2007,  the  accreted 
value  of  the  outstanding  LYONs  was  lower  than  the  traded 
market  value  of  the  underlying  common  stock  issuable  upon 
conversion. The Company may redeem all or a portion of the 
LYONs  for  cash  at  any  time  at  scheduled  redemption  prices. 
Holders may require the Company to purchase all or a portion 
of  the  notes  for  cash  and/or  Company  common  stock,  at  the 
Company’s  option,  on  January  22,  2011.  The  holders  had 
a  similar  option  to  require  the  Company  to  purchase  all  or  a 
portion of the notes as of January 22, 2004, which resulted in 
notes with an accreted value of $1.1 million being redeemed by 
the Company for cash.

Under the terms of the LYONs, the Company will pay contingent 
interest to the holders of LYONs during any six month period 
from January 23 to July 22 and from July 23 to January 22 if the 
average market price of a LYON for a specified measurement 
period equals 120% or more of the sum of the issue price and 
accrued original issue discount for such LYON. The amount of 
contingent  interest  to  be  paid  with  respect  to  any  quarterly 
period is equal to the higher of either 0.0315% percent of the 
bonds’ average market price during the specified measurement 
period  or  the  amount  of  the  common  stock  dividend  paid 

46

during  such  quarterly  period  multiplied  by  the  number  of 
shares  issuable  upon  conversion  of  a  LYON.  The  Company 
paid approximately $1.2 million of contingent interest on the 
LYONs for the year ended December 31, 2007. Except for the 
contingent interest described above, the Company will not pay 
interest on the LYONs prior to maturity.

The $250 million of 6.1% notes due 2008 mature October 15, 
2008. In January 2002, the Company entered into two interest 
rate  swap  agreements  for  the  term  of  the  notes  having  an 
aggregate notional principal amount of $100 million whereby 
the effective net interest rate on $100 million of the Notes is 
the six-month LIBOR rate plus approximately 0.425%. Rates are 
reset twice per year. At December 31, 2007, the net interest 
rate on $100 million of the notes was 4.43% after giving effect 
to the interest rate swap agreement. In accordance with SFAS 
No. 133 (“Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging 
Activities”, as amended), the Company accounts for these swap 
agreements as fair value hedges. These instruments qualify as 
“effective” or “perfect” hedges.

Shelf Registration Statement and  
Common Stock Offering

The Company has a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 on 
file with the SEC that registers an indeterminate amount of debt 
securities, common stock, preferred stock, warrants, depositary 
shares, purchase contracts and units for future issuance.

In  November  2007,  the  Company  completed  an  underwritten 
public  offering  of  6.9  million  shares  of  Danaher  common 
stock at a price to the public of $82.25 per share off the shelf 
registration statement. The net proceeds, after expenses and 
the underwriters’ discount, were approximately $550 million, 
which were used to partially fund the acquisition of Tektronix. 
In December 2007, the Company also issued the 5.625% Senior 
Notes due 2018 off the shelf registration statement.

Stock Repurchase Program

On April 21, 2005, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized 
the  repurchase  of  up  to  10  million  shares  of  the  Company’s 
common  stock  from  time  to  time  on  the  open  market  or  in 
privately negotiated transactions. There is no expiration date 
for the Company’s repurchase program. The timing and amount 
of any shares repurchased will be determined by the Company’s 
management based on its evaluation of market conditions and 
other  factors.  The  repurchase  program  may  be  suspended 
or  discontinued  at  any  time.  Any  repurchased  shares  will  be 
available  for  use  in  connection  with  the  Company’s  equity 
compensation plans and for other corporate purposes. 

During 2007, the Company repurchased 1.64 million shares of 
Company common stock in open market transactions at a cost 
of $117 million. These repurchases were funded from available 
cash  and  from  proceeds  from  the  issuance  of  commercial 
paper.  During  2005,  the  Company  repurchased  5  million 
shares of Company common stock in open market transactions 
at  an  aggregate  cost  of  $258  million.  The  2005  repurchases 
were funded from available cash and from borrowings under 
uncommitted  lines  of  credit.  At  December  31,  2007,  the 
Company  had  approximately  3.4  million  shares  remaining  for 
stock  repurchases  under  the  existing  Board  authorization. 
The  Company  expects  to  fund  any  further  repurchases  using 
the Company’s available cash balances or proceeds from the 
issuance of commercial paper.

Dividends

The Company increased its regular, quarterly dividend to $0.03 
per  share  during  the  second  quarter  of  2007,  and  declared 
a  regular  quarterly  dividend  of  $0.03  per  share  payable  on 
January 25, 2008 to holders of record on December 28, 2007. 
Aggregate  cash  payments  for  dividends  during  2007  were 
$34.3 million. 

47

Cash and Cash Requirements

As of December 31, 2007, the Company held $239.1 million 
of  cash  and  cash  equivalents  that  were  invested  in  highly 
liquid investment grade debt instruments with a maturity of 
90 days or less. 

The  Company  will  continue  to  have  cash  requirements  to 
support  working  capital  needs  and  capital  expenditures  and 
acquisitions, to pay interest and service debt, fund its pension 
plans as required, pay dividends to shareholders and repurchase 
shares of the Company’s common stock. The Company generally 
intends to use available cash and internally generated funds to 
meet these cash requirements and may borrow under existing 
commercial  paper  programs  or  credit  facilities  or  access  the 
capital markets as needed for liquidity. The Company believes 
that  it  has  sufficient  liquidity  to  satisfy  both  short-term  and 
long-term requirements.

The  Company’s  cash  balances  are  generated  and  held  in 
numerous locations throughout the world, including substantial 
amounts held outside the United States. The Company utilizes 
a  variety  of  tax  planning  and  financing  strategies  in  an  effort 
to ensure that its worldwide cash is available in the locations 
in  which  it  is  needed.  Wherever  possible,  cash  management 

is  centralized  and  intra-company  financing  is  used  to  provide 

working capital to the Company’s operations. Most of the cash 

balances held outside the United States could be repatriated to 

the United States, but, under current law, would potentially be 

subject to United States federal income taxes, less applicable 

foreign  tax  credits.  Repatriation  of  some  foreign  balances  is 

restricted or prohibited by local laws. Where local restrictions 

prevent  an  efficient  intra-company  transfer  of  funds,  the 

Company’s  intent  is  that  cash  balances  would  remain  in  the 

foreign country and it would meet United States liquidity needs 

through ongoing cash flows, external borrowings, or both. 

Contractual Obligations 

The following table sets forth, by period due or year of expected 

expiration,  as  applicable,  a  summary  of  the  Company’s 

contractual  obligations  as  of  December  31,  2007  under  (1) 

long-term debt obligations, (2) leases, (3) purchase obligations 

and  (4)  other  long-term liabilities reflected  on  the Company’s 

balance sheet under GAAP. The amounts presented in the table 

below  do  not  reflect  $556  million  of  gross  unrecognized  tax 

benefits, the timing of which is uncertain. Refer Note 13 to the 

Consolidated  Financial  Statements  for  additional  information 

on unrecognized tax benefits.

48

($ in millions)

Debt & Leases:

Less Than 
One Year

Total

1-3 Years

3-5 Years

More Than  
5 Years

Long-Term Debt Obligations (a)(b)

$ 3,695.5

$  329.5

$     6.9

$ 1,505.8

$ 1,853.3

 Capital Lease Obligations (b)

Total Long-Term Debt

Interest Payments on Long-Term Debt and Capital 

Lease Obligations

Operating Lease Obligations (c)

Other:

Purchase Obligations (d)

Other Long-Term Liabilities Reflected on the 
Company’s Balance Sheet Under GAAP (e)

30.8

3,726.3

604.9

368.1

1.0

330.5

69.1

100.4

3.5

10.4

130.8

143.5

417.0

407.4

5.7

3.0

1,508.8

100.7

65.2

3.9

23.3

1,876.6

304.3

59.0

--

1,634.6

 --

312.3

243.6

1,078.7

$ 6,750.9

$  907.4

$ 602.7

$ 1,922.2

$ 3,318.6

Total

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

As described in Note 8 to the Consolidated Financial Statements

Amounts do not include interest payments. Interest on long-term debt and capital lease obligations is reflected in a separate 
line in the table.

As described in Note 11 to the Consolidated Financial Statements

Consist of agreements to purchase goods or services that are enforceable and legally binding on the Company and that specify 
all significant terms, including fixed or minimum quantities to be purchased; fixed, minimum or variable price provisions; and the 
approximate timing of the transaction.

Primarily consist of obligations under product service and warranty policies and allowances, performance and operating cost 
guarantees, estimated environmental remediation costs, self-insurance and litigation claims, post-retirement benefits, certain 
pension obligations, deferred tax liabilities and deferred compensation obligations. The timing of cash flows associated with 
these obligations are based upon management’s estimates over the terms of these arrangements and are largely based upon 
historical experience.

49

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

The following table sets forth, by period due or year of expected expiration, as applicable, a summary of off-balance sheet commercial 
commitments of the Company.

                                                                                                              Amount of Commitment Expiration per Period

($ in millions)

Standby Letters of Credit and 

Performance Bonds

Guarantees

Contingent Acquisition Consideration

Total

Total Amounts 
Committed

Less Than  
 One Year

1-3 Years

4-5 Years

More Than  
5 Years

$ 208.9

60.6

43.8

$ 313.3

$ 48.0

$   91.3

$ 45.9

35.7

1.0

4.8

39.8

1.2

3.0

$ 84.7

$ 135.9

$ 50.1

$ 23.7

18.9

--

$ 42.6

Standby  letters  of  credit  and  performance  bonds  are  generally 
issued  to  secure  the  Company’s  obligations  under  short-term 
contracts  to  purchase  raw  materials  and  components  for 
manufacture  and  for  performance  under  specific  manufacturing 
agreements.  Guarantees  are  generally  issued  in  connection 
with  certain  transactions  with  vendors,  suppliers,  and  financing 
counterparties and governmental entities.

In  connection  with  three  past  acquisitions,  the  Company  has 
entered  into  agreements  with  the  respective  sellers  to  pay 
certain  amounts  in  the  future  as  additional  purchase  price. 
The Company enters into these types of arrangements to help 
bridge differences of opinion that the Company and the sellers 
may have over the appropriate value of the acquired business. 
The Company could pay nothing in the aggregate over the next 
three  years  pursuant  to  these  agreements,  or  a  maximum  of 
up to $43.8 million over the next three years depending on the 
performance of the respective businesses during the specified 
performance period.  

Other Off-Balance-Sheet Arrangements

The  Company  has  from  time  to  time  divested  certain  of  its 
businesses and assets.  In connection with these divestitures, 
the  Company  often  provides  representations,  warranties  and/
or  indemnities  to  cover  various  risks  and  unknown  liabilities, 
such as claims for damages arising out of the use of products or 
relating to intellectual property matters, commercial disputes, 
environmental  matters  or  tax  matters.  The  Company  cannot 
estimate  the  potential  liability  from  such  representations, 
warranties  and  indemnities  because  they  relate  to  unknown 
conditions.   However,  the  Company  does  not  believe  that  the 
liabilities  relating  to  these  representations,  warranties  and 
indemnities will have a material adverse effect on the Company’s 
financial position, results of operations or liquidity.

Due  to  the  Company’s  downsizing  of  certain  operations 
pursuant  to  acquisitions,  restructuring  plans  or  otherwise, 
certain  properties  leased  by  the  Company  have  been  sublet 
to third parties. In the event any of these third parties vacates 
any of these premises, the Company would be legally obligated 
under master lease arrangements. The Company believes that 
the financial risk of default by such sub-lessors is individually 
and in the aggregate not material to the Company’s financial 
position, results of operations or liquidity.

The  Company’s  Certificate  of  Incorporation  requires  it  to 
indemnify to the full extent authorized or permitted by law any 
person made, or threatened to be made a party to any action 
or proceeding by reason of his or her service as a director or 
officer of the Company, or by reason of serving at the request of 
the Company as a director or officer of any other entity, subject 
to limited exceptions. While the Company maintains insurance 
for this type of liability, a significant deductible applies to this 
coverage and any such liability could exceed the amount of the 
insurance coverage.

Except  as  described  above,  as  of  December  31,  2007 
the  Company  has  not  entered  into  any  off-balance  sheet 
financing  arrangements  and  has  no  unconsolidated  special 
purpose entities. 

Legal Proceedings

Please refer to Note 12 to the Consolidated Financial Statements 
included in this Annual Report for information regarding certain 
outstanding litigation matters.

In  addition  to  the  litigation  matters  noted  under  “Item  1. 
Business  –  Regulatory  Matters  –  Environmental,  Health  & 
Safety”,  the  Company  is,  from  time  to  time,  subject  to  a 
variety of litigation incidental to its business. These lawsuits 
primarily  involve  claims  for  damages  arising  out  of  the  use 
of  the  Company’s  products,  claims  relating  to  intellectual 
property  matters  and  claims  involving  employment  matters 
and  commercial  disputes.  The  Company  may  also  become 
subject  to  lawsuits  as  a  result  of  past  or  future  acquisitions 
or  as  a  result  of  liabilities  retained  from,  or  representations, 
warranties or indemnities provided in connection with, divested 
businesses. Some of these lawsuits include claims for punitive 
and  consequential  as  well  as  compensatory  damages.  While 
the  Company  maintains  workers  compensation,  property, 
cargo, automobile, aviation, crime, fiduciary, product, general 
liability, and directors’ and officers’ liability insurance (and has 
acquired rights under similar policies in connection with certain 
acquisitions) that it believes cover a portion of these claims, 
this insurance may be insufficient or unavailable to cover such 
losses. In addition, while the Company believes it is entitled 
to indemnification from third parties for some of these claims, 
these  rights  may  also  be  insufficient  or  unavailable  to  cover 
such  losses.  Based  upon  the  Company’s  experience,  current 
information and applicable law, it does not believe that these 

50

proceedings and claims will have a material adverse effect on 
its cash flows, financial position, or results of operations. 

The  Company  maintains  third  party  insurance  policies  up  to 
certain limits to cover liability costs in excess of predetermined 
retained amounts. The Company carries significant deductibles 
and self-insured retentions under most of its lines of insurance, 
and  management  believes  that  the  Company  maintains 
adequate accruals to cover the retained liability. Management 
determines  the  Company’s  accrual  for  self-insurance  liability 
based on claims filed and an estimate of claims incurred but 
not yet reported. 

For a discussion of additional risks related to existing and potential 
legal proceedings, please refer to “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”

Critical Accounting Policies

Management’s  discussion  and  analysis  of  the  Company’s 
financial  condition  and  results  of  operations  are  based  upon 
the  Company’s  Consolidated  Financial  Statements,  which 
have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles 
generally  accepted  in  the  United  States.  The  preparation  of 
these  financial  statements  requires  management  to  make 
estimates  and  judgments  that  affect  the  reported  amounts 
of  assets,  liabilities,  revenues  and  expenses,  and  related 
disclosure  of  contingent  assets  and  liabilities.  The  Company 
bases these estimates on historical experience and on various 
other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the 
circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making 
judgments  about  the  carrying  values  of  assets  and  liabilities 
that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results 
may differ from these estimates. 

The Company believes the following critical accounting policies 
are most critical to an understanding of its financial statements 
because  they  inherently  involve  significant  judgments  and 
uncertainties.  For  a  detailed  discussion  on  the  application  of 
these  and  other  accounting  policies,  refer  to  Note  1  in  the 
Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.

Accounts  receivable.  The  Company  maintains  allowances 
for  doubtful  accounts  for  estimated  losses  resulting  from 
the  inability  of  the  Company’s  customers  to  make  required 
payments. The Company estimates its anticipated losses from 
doubtful  accounts  based  on  historical  collection  history  as 

well as by specifically reserving for known doubtful accounts. 
Estimating losses from doubtful accounts is inherently uncertain 
because  the  amount  of  such  losses  depends  substantially 
on  the  financial  condition  of  the  Company’s  customers,  and 
the Company typically has limited visibility as to the specific 
financial state of its customers. If the financial condition of the 
Company’s  customers  were  to  deteriorate  beyond  estimates, 
resulting in an impairment of their ability to make payments, 
the  Company  would  be  required  to  write  off  additional 
accounts receivable balances, which would adversely impact 
the Company’s net earnings and financial condition.

Inventories. The Company records inventory at the lower of cost 
or market value. The Company estimates the market value of its 
inventory  based  on  assumptions  for  future  demand  and  related 
pricing.  Estimating  the  market  value  of  inventory  is  inherently 
uncertain because levels of demand, technological advances and 
pricing competition in many of the Company’s markets can fluctuate 
significantly from period to period due to circumstances beyond the 
Company’s control. As a result, such fluctuations can be difficult to 
predict. If actual market conditions are less favorable than those 
projected  by  management,  the  Company  could  be  required  to 
reduce the value of its inventory, which would adversely impact 
the Company’s net earnings and financial condition.

Acquired  intangibles.  The  Company’s  business  acquisitions 
typically result in goodwill and other intangible assets, which 
affect  the  amount  of  future  period  amortization  expense  and 
possible impairment expense that the Company will incur. The 
Company follows Statement of Financial Accounting Standards 
(SFAS)  No.  142,  the  accounting  standard  for  goodwill,  which 
requires that the Company, on an annual basis, calculate the 
fair  value  of  the  reporting  units  that  contain  the  goodwill 
and  compare  that  to  the  carrying  value  of  the  reporting  unit 
to  determine  if  impairment  exists.  Impairment  testing  must 
take  place  more  often  if  circumstances  or  events  indicate  a 
change in the impairment status. In calculating the fair value 
of  the  reporting  units,  management  relies  on  a  number  of 
factors including operating results, business plans, economic 
projections,  anticipated  future  cash  flows,  and  transactions 
and  market  data.  There  are  inherent  uncertainties  related  to 
these factors and management’s judgment in applying them to 
the analysis of goodwill impairment. If actual fair value is less 
than the Company’s estimates, goodwill and other intangible 
assets may be overstated on the balance sheet and a charge 
would need to be taken against net earnings.

51

The  Company’s  annual  goodwill  impairment  analysis,  which 
was performed during the fourth quarter of 2007, did not result 
in an impairment charge. The excess of the estimated fair value 
over carrying value for each of the Company’s reporting units as 
of September 30, 2007, the annual testing date, ranged from 
approximately $11 million to approximately $2.3 billion. In order 
to evaluate the sensitivity of the fair value calculations on the 
goodwill impairment test, the Company applied a hypothetical 
10%  decrease  to  the  fair  values  of  each  reporting  unit.  This 
hypothetical  10%  decrease  would  result  in  excess  fair  value 
over carrying value ranging from a short fall of approximately 
$10 million to an excess of approximately $2.1 billion for each of 
the Company’s reporting units. The reporting unit that resulted 
in a short fall of fair value as compared to carrying value based 
on a 10% hypothetical change in fair value had $188 million of 
recorded goodwill at the date of the impairment analysis.

Long-lived assets. The Company reviews its long-lived assets 
for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances 
indicate the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. 
Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a 
comparison of the carrying amount of the assets to the future 
net cash flows expected to be generated by the assets. If such 
assets  are  considered  to  be  impaired,  the  impairment  to  be 
recognized is measured by the amount by which the carrying 
amount of the assets exceeds their fair value. Judgments made 
by  the  Company  relate  to  the  expected  useful  lives  of  long-
lived  assets  and  its  ability  to  realize  any  undiscounted  cash 
flows  in  excess  of  the  carrying  amounts  of  such  assets  and 
are affected by factors such as the ongoing maintenance and 
improvements of the assets, changes in the expected use of the 
assets, changes in economic conditions, changes in operating 
performance and anticipated future cash flows. Since judgment 
is involved in determining the fair value of long-lived assets, 
there is risk that the carrying value of the Company’s long-lived 
assets may require adjustment in future periods. If actual fair 
value is less than the Company’s estimates, long-lived assets 
may be overstated on the balance sheet and a charge would 
need to be taken against net earnings.

Purchase accounting. In connection with its acquisitions, the 
Company formulates a plan related to the future integration 
of  the  acquired  entity.  In  accordance  with  Emerging  Issues 
Task  Force  Issue  No.  95-3,  Recognition  of  Liabilities  in 
Connection  with  a  Purchase  Business  Combination,  the 
Company  accrues  estimates  for  certain  of  the  integration 

52

costs  anticipated  at  the  date  of  acquisition,  including 
personnel reductions and facility closures or restructurings. 
Adjustments to these estimates are made up to 12 months 
from the acquisition date as plans are finalized. The Company 
establishes  these  accruals  based  on  information  obtained 
during the due diligence process, the Company’s experience 
in acquiring other companies, and information obtained after 
the  closing  about  the  acquired  company’s  business,  assets 
and  liabilities.  The  accruals  established  by  the  Company 
are inherently uncertain because they are based on limited 
information on the fair value of the assets and liabilities of 
the acquired business as well as the uncertainty of the cost to 
execute the integration plans for the business. If the accruals 
established  by  the  Company  are  insufficient  to  account  for 
all of the activities required to integrate the acquired entity, 
the Company would be required to incur an expense, which 
would adversely affect the net earnings. To the extent these 
accruals are not utilized for the intended purpose, the excess 
is recorded as a reduction of the purchase price, typically by 
reducing recorded goodwill balances. 

(which 

includes  product 

Risk  Insurance.    The  Company  carries  significant  deductibles 
and  self-insured  retentions  with  respect  to  various  business 
risks.  The  business  risk  areas  involving  the  most  significant 
accounting estimates are workers’ compensation and general 
liability 
liability).  For  domestic 
workers’ compensation and general liability risk, the Company 
generally  purchases  outside  insurance  coverage  only  for 
severe losses (“stop loss” insurance) and must establish and 
maintain  reserves  with  respect  to  amounts  within  the  self-
insured retention. These reserves consist of specific reserves 
for  individual  claims  and  additional  amounts  expected  for 
development  of  these  claims  as  well  as  for  incurred  but  not 
yet reported claims. The specific reserves for individual known 
claims  are  quantified  by  third  party  administrator  specialists 
for  workers’  compensation  and  by  outside  risk  insurance 
experts  for  product  liability.  In  addition,  outside  risk  experts 
recommend reserves for incurred but not yet reported claims 
by  evaluating  the  Company’s  specific  loss  history,  actual 
claims  reported,  and  industry  trends  among  statistical  and 
other  factors.  The  Company  believes  the  liability  recorded 
for  such  risk  insurance  reserves  as  of  December  31,  2007  is 
adequate, but due to judgments inherent in the reserve process 
it is possible the ultimate costs will differ from this estimate. 
If  the  risk  insurance  reserves  established  are  inadequate, 
the  Company  would  be  required  to  incur  an  expense  equal 

to the amount of the loss incurred in excess of the reserves, 
which  would  adversely  affect  the  Company’s  net  earnings. 

and 

remediation 

Environmental.  The  Company  has  made  a  provision  for 
environmental 
environmental-related 
personal injury claims with respect to sites owned or formerly 
owned  by  the  Company  and  its  subsidiaries.    The  Company 
generally  makes  an  assessment  of  the  costs  involved  for  its 
remediation  efforts  based  on  environmental  studies  as  well 
as  its  prior  experience  with  similar  sites.    If  the  Company 
determines  that  potential  remediation  liability  for  properties 
currently  or  previously  owned  is  probable  and  reasonably 
estimable,  it  accrues  the  total  estimated  costs,  including 
investigation and remediation costs, associated with the site.  
The  Company  also  estimates  its  exposure  for  environmental-
related personal injury claims and accrues for this estimated 
liability  as  such  claims  become  known.    While  the  Company 
actively  pursues  insurance  recoveries  as  well  as  recoveries 
from other potentially responsible parties, it does not recognize 
any insurance recoveries for environmental liability claims until 
realized.  The ultimate cost of site cleanup is difficult to predict 
given the uncertainties of the Company’s involvement in certain 
sites, uncertainties regarding the extent of the required cleanup, 
the  availability  of  alternative  cleanup  methods,  variations  in 
the  interpretation  of  applicable  laws  and  regulations,  the 
possibility  of  insurance  recoveries  with  respect  to  certain 
sites and the fact that imposition of joint and several liability 
with right of contribution is possible under the Comprehensive 
Environmental  Response,  Compensation  and  Liability  Act  of 
1980 and other environmental laws and regulations.  As such, 
there  can  be  no  assurance  that  the  Company’s  estimates  of 
environmental liabilities will not change.  Refer to Note 12 of the 
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional 
information. If the environmental reserves established by the 
Company  are  inadequate,  the  Company  would  be  required 
to incur an expense equal to the amount of the loss incurred 
in  excess  of  the  reserves,  which  would  adversely  affect  the 
Company’s net earnings.

Contingent  Liabilities. The Company is, from time to time, subject 
to a variety of litigation incidental to its business. These lawsuits 
primarily involve claims for damages arising out of the use of 
our  products,  claims  relating  to  intellectual  property  matters 
and  claims  involving  employment  matters  and  commercial 
disputes. The Company may also become subject to lawsuits as 
a result of past or future acquisitions or as a result of liabilities 

retained  from,  or  representations,  warranties  or  indemnities 
provided  in  connection  with,  divested  businesses.  Some  of 
these  lawsuits  include  claims  for  punitive  and  consequential 
as well as compensatory damages. The Company recognizes a 
liability for any contingency that is probable of occurrence and 
reasonably estimable. The Company periodically assesses the 
likelihood of adverse judgments or outcomes for these matters, 
as well as potential amounts or ranges of probable losses, and 
if  appropriate  recognizes  a  liability  for  these  contingencies 
with the assistance of legal counsel and, if applicable, other 
experts.  These  assessments  require  judgments  concerning 
matters such as the anticipated outcome of negotiations, the 
number and cost of pending and future claims, and the impact 
of evidentiary requirements. Because most contingencies are 
resolved over long periods of time, liabilities may change in the 
future due to new developments or changes in the Company’s 
settlement  strategy.  For  a  discussion  of  these  contingencies, 
including  management’s  judgment  applied  in  the  recognition 
and measurement of specific liabilities, refer to Note 12 of the 
Notes  to  Consolidated  Financial  Statements.  If  the  reserves 
established by the Company with respect to these contingent 
liabilities  are  inadequate,  the  Company  would  be  required 
to incur an expense equal to the amount of the loss incurred 
in  excess  of  the  reserves,  which  would  adversely  affect  the 
Company’s net earnings.

Share-Based  Compensation.  Effective  January  1,  2006,  the 
Company adopted Statement of Financial Accounting Standards 
No. 123 (revised 2004), Share-Based Payment (SFAS No. 123R), 
which requires the Company to measure the cost of employee 
services  received  in  exchange  for  all  equity  awards  granted, 
including  stock  options  RSUs  and  restricted  stock,  based 
on  the  fair  market  value  of  the  award  as  of  the  grant  date. 
SFAS No. 123R supersedes Statement of Financial Accounting 
Standards No. 123, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation 
and  Accounting  Principles  Board  Opinion  No.  25,  Accounting 
for  Stock  Issued  to  Employees  (APB  25).  The  Company  has 
adopted SFAS 123R using the modified prospective application 
method  of  adoption  which  requires  the  Company  to  record 
compensation  cost  related  to  unvested  stock  awards  as  of 
December  31,  2005  by  recognizing  the  unamortized  grant 
date  fair  value  of  these  awards  over  the  remaining  service 
periods of those awards with no change in historical reported 
earnings. Awards granted after December 31, 2005 are valued 
at  fair  value  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  SFAS  No. 
123R. Under the fair value recognition provisions of SFAS No. 

53

 
123R,  the  Company  recognizes  equity-based  compensation 
expense  net  of  an  estimated  forfeiture  rate  and  recognizes 
compensation cost for only those shares expected to vest on 
a  straight-line  basis  over  the  requisite  service  period  of  the 
award. Prior to 2006, the Company accounted for stock-based 
compensation  in  accordance  with  APB  25  using  the  intrinsic 
value method, which did not require that compensation cost be 
recognized for the Company’s stock options provided the option 
exercise price was established at 100% of the common stock 
fair market value on the date of grant.

Determining the appropriate fair value model and calculating 
the fair value of share-based payment awards require the input 
of  subjective  assumptions,  including  the  expected  life  of  the 
share-based  payment  awards  and  stock  price  volatility.  The 
assumptions used in calculating the fair value of share-based 
payment  awards  represent  management’s  best  estimates, 
but  these  estimates  involve  inherent  uncertainties  and  the 
application  of  management  judgment.  As  a  result,  if  factors 
change  and  we  use  different  assumptions,  our  equity-based 
compensation  expense  could  be  materially  different  in  the 
future. In addition, we are required to estimate the expected 
forfeiture  rate  and  recognize  expense  only  for  those  shares 
expected  to  vest.  If  our  actual  forfeiture  rate  is  materially 
different  from  our  estimate,  the  equity-based  compensation 
expense  could  be  significantly  different  from  what  we  have 
recorded in the current period.

Pension  and  Other  Postretirement  Benefits.  Certain  of  the 
Company’s  employees  and  retired  employees  are  covered 
by  defined  benefit  pension  plans  (pension  plans)  and  certain 
eligible  retirees  are  provided  health  care  and  life  insurance 
benefits  under  postretirement  benefit  plans  (postretirement 
plans). The Company accounts for its pension and postretirement 
plans in accordance with SFAS No. 87, Employers’ Accounting 
for  Pensions;  SFAS  No.  106,  Employers’  Accounting  for 
Postretirement Benefits Other Than Pensions; and SFAS No. 158, 
Employers’ Accounting for Defined Benefit Pension and Other 
Postretirement Plans, an amendment of FASB Statements No. 
87, 88, 106, and 132(R). SFAS No. 87 and SFAS No. 106 require 
that the amounts the Company records, including the expense 
or  income,  associated  with  the  pension  and  postretirement 
plans is computed using actuarial valuations.

Calculations of the amount of pension and other postretirement 
benefits  costs  and  obligations  depend  on  the  assumptions 

used  in  the  actuarial  valuations.  These  include  assumptions 
the  Company  makes  relating  to  financial  market  and  other 
economic conditions. Changes in key economic indicators can 
result in changes in the assumptions used by the Company. The 
assumptions used in the actuarial valuation include discount 
rates, expected return on plan assets, rate of salary increases, 
health care cost trend rates, mortality rates, and other factors.  
While  the  Company  believes  that  the  assumptions  used  in 
calculating  its  pension  and  other  postretirement  benefits 
costs  and  obligations  are  appropriate,  differences  in  actual 
experience  or  changes  in  the  assumptions  may  affect  the 
Company’s financial position or results of operations.  For the 
United States plan, the Company used a 6.0% discount rate in 
computing the amount of the minimum pension liability to be 
recorded at December 31, 2007, which represents an increase 
of 0.25% in the discount rate from December 31, 2006.  For 
non-U.S. plans, rates appropriate for each plan are determined 
based  on  investment  grade  instruments  with  maturities 
approximately equal to the average expected benefit payout 
under  the  plan.  A  25  basis  point  reduction  in  the  discount 
rate used for the plans would have increased the US and non-
US net obligation by $62 million ($40 million on an after tax 
basis) from the amount recorded in the financial statements at 
December 31, 2007.

For  2007,  the  expected  long-term  rate  of  return  assumption 
applicable  to  assets  held  in  the  United  States  plan  was 
estimated at 8.0% which is the same as the rate used in 2006.  
This expected rate of return reflects the asset allocation of the 
plan  and  the  expected  long-term  returns  on  equity  and  debt 
investments  included  in  plan  assets.  The  U.S.  plan  invests 
between 60% and 70% of its assets in equity portfolios which 
are invested in funds that are expected to mirror broad market 
returns for equity securities.  The balance of the asset portfolio 
is invested in corporate bonds and bond index funds.  Pension 
expense for the U.S. plan for the year ended December 31, 2007 
was $13 million (or $8 million on an after-tax basis), compared 
with $17 million (or $11 million on an after-tax basis) for this 
plan in 2006.  If the expected long-term rate of return on plan 
assets was reduced by 0.5%, pension expense for 2007 would 
have  increased  $3.0  million  (or  $2.0  million  on  an  after-tax 
basis).  The Company made no contributions to the U.S. plan 
in  2007  and  is  not  statutorily  required  to  make  contributions 
to the plan in 2008.  The Company’s non-U.S. plan assets are 
comprised  of  various  insurance  contracts,  equity  and  debt 
securities  as  determined  by  the  administrator  of  each  plan.  

54

The estimated long-term rate of return for the non-U.S. plans 
was determined on a plan by plan basis based on the nature of 
the plan assets and ranged from 0.75% to 7.5% for 2007 and 
ranged from 2.5% to 6.5% for 2006.

The Company adopted the provisions of SFAS No. 158 effective 
in the year ended December 31, 2006. For a summary of the 
material  provisions  of  SFAS  No.  158,  see  “New  Accounting 
Standards.” The adoption of SFAS No. 158 in 2006 decreased 
the  Company’s  minimum  pension  liability  by  $13.0  million 
($9.1  million  net  of  tax  benefits)  due  to  the  recognition  of 
previously  unrecognized,  over-funded  positions  in  certain 
of  the  Company’s  non-US  pension  plans.  The  Company  also 
recorded  other  comprehensive  income  of  $10  million  ($6.5 
million net of tax benefits) due to the recognition of actuarially 
determined prior service credits associated with the Company’s 
U.S. based retiree benefit program. As of December 31, 2007, 
approximately $120 million ($81 million, net of tax benefits) of 
aggregate unrecognized prior service credits and unrecognized 
actuarial 
in  accumulated  other 
included 
comprehensive income associated with the Company’s pension 
plans. In addition, as of December 31, 2007, approximately $5.7 
million ($3.9 million, net of tax) of aggregate unrecognized prior 
service credits and unrecognized actuarial losses are included 
in accumulated other comprehensive income associated with 
the Company’s postretirement plans. 

losses  are 

The U.S. Pension Protection Act of 2006 was enacted August 
17, 2006. While the Act will have some effect on specific plan 
provisions  in  the  Company’s  retirement  program,  its  primary 
effect will be to change the minimum funding requirements for 
plan years beginning in 2009. Based on initial projections, the 
Act is expected to slightly increase the amount of our required 
contributions in 2009.

New Accounting Standards

In  December  2007,  the  FASB  issued  SFAS  No.  141  (revised 
2007),  “Business  Combinations”  (SFAS  No.  141R)  and  SFAS 
No.  160,  “Noncontrolling  Interests  in  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements” (“SFAS No. 160”). SFAS 141R establishes principles 
and requirements for how an acquirer recognizes and measures 
in its financial statements the identifiable assets acquired, the 
liabilities assumed, any noncontrolling interest in the acquiree 
and  the  goodwill  acquired.  SFAS  No.  141R  also  establishes 
disclosure requirements to enable the evaluation of the nature 

and  financial  effects  of  the  business  combination.  SFAS  No. 
160 clarifies the classification of noncontrolling interests in the 
financial  statements  and  the  accounting  for  and  reporting  of 
transactions between the reporting entity and holders of such 
noncontrolling  interests.  SFAS  No.  141R  and  SFAS  No.  160 
are  effective  for  financial  statements  issued  for  fiscal  years 
beginning after December 15, 2008. Management is currently 
evaluating the potential impact, if any, of the adoption of SFAS 
No.  141R  and  SFAS  No.  160  on  the  Company’s  consolidated 
financial position and results of operations.

In  September  2006,  the  FASB  issued  SFAS  No.  157,  “Fair 
Value Measurements” (SFAS No. 157). SFAS No. 157 provides 
guidance for using fair value to measure assets and liabilities. 
It also responds to investors’ requests for expanded information 
about  the  extent  to  which  companies  measure  assets  and 
liabilities  at  fair  value,  the  information  used  to  measure  fair 
value and the effect of fair value measurements on earnings. 
SFAS  No.  157  applies  whenever  other  standards  require  (or 
permit) assets or liabilities to be measured at fair value, and 
does not expand the use of fair value in any new circumstances. 
SFAS No. 157 is effective for financial statements issued for 
fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2007. Management 
is currently evaluating the effect that the adoption of SFAS No. 
157 will have on the Company’s consolidated financial position 
and results of operations.

In  February  2007,  the  FASB  issued  SFAS  No.  159,  “The  Fair 
Value  Option  for  Financial  Assets  and  Financial  Liabilities 
—  Including  an  amendment  of  FASB  Statement  No.  115” 
(SFAS No. 159). SFAS No. 159 expands the use of fair value 
accounting but does not affect existing standards that require 
assets or liabilities to be carried at fair value. Under SFAS No. 
159, a company may elect to use fair value to measure accounts 
and  loans  receivable,  available-for-sale  and  held-to-maturity 
securities,  equity  method  investments,  accounts  payable, 
guarantees  and  issued  debt.  Other  eligible  items  include 
firm  commitments  for  financial  instruments  that  otherwise 
would not be recognized at inception and non-cash warranty 
obligations where a warrantor is permitted to pay a third party 
to  provide  the  warranty  goods  or  services.  If  the  use  of  fair 
value is elected, any upfront costs and fees related to the item 
must be recognized in earnings and cannot be deferred, such as 
debt issuance costs. The fair value election is irrevocable and 
generally made on an instrument-by-instrument basis, even if a 
company has similar instruments that it elects not to measure 

55

based  on  fair  value.  At  the  adoption  date,  unrealized  gains 
and  losses  on  existing  items  for  which  fair  value  has  been 
elected are reported as a cumulative adjustment to beginning 
retained  earnings.  Subsequent  to  the  adoption  of  SFAS  No. 
159, changes in fair value are recognized in earnings. SFAS No. 
159 is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years 
beginning after November 15, 2007. Management is currently 
evaluating the effect that the adoption of SFAS No. 159 will 
have  on  the  Company’s  consolidated  financial  position  and 
results of operations.

In  July  2006,  the  FASB  issued  FASB  Interpretation  No.  48 
(FIN  48)  “Accounting  for  Uncertainty  in  Income  Taxes  –  an 
interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109”, to clarify certain 
aspects  of  accounting  for  uncertain  tax  positions,  including 
issues  related  to  the  recognition  and  measurement  of  those 
tax  positions.    The  Company  adopted  FIN  48  as  of  January 
1, 2007, as required.  As a result of the implementation, the 
Company recognized a decrease of $63 million in the liability 
for unrecognized tax benefits, which was accounted for as an 
increase to the January 1, 2007 balance of retained earnings.  

In  September  2006,  the  FASB 
issued  SFAS  No.  158, 
“Employers’ Accounting for Defined Benefit Pension and Other 
Postretirement  Plans—an  amendment  of  FASB  Statements 
No. 87, 88, 106 and 132(R).” This statement requires a company 
to (a) recognize in its statement of financial position an asset 
for a plan’s over funded status or a liability for a plan’s under 
funded status (b) measure a plan’s assets and its obligations 
that determine its funded status as of the end of the employer’s 
fiscal year, and (c) recognize changes in the funded status of a 
defined postretirement plan in the year in which the changes 
occur (reported in comprehensive income). The requirement to 
recognize the funded status of a benefit plan and the disclosure 
requirements were effective and adopted by the Company as 
of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006. The requirement 
to measure the plan assets and benefit obligations as of the 
date of the employer’s fiscal year–end statement of financial 
position  is  effective  for  fiscal  years  ending  after  December 
15, 2008. The adoption of this standard reduced the amount 
of  pension  and  other  post-retirement  liabilities  recorded 
by  approximately  $23  million  as  of  December  31,  2006  due 
to  the  recognition  of  previously  unrecognized,  over-funded 
positions  in  certain  of  the  Company’s  non-US  pension  plans 
and  due  to  the  recognition  of  actuarially  determined  prior 
service  credits  associated  with  the  Company’s  U.S.  based 
retiree benefit program. The Company  expects  to change its 
pension plan measurement date to December 31 effective in 
2008.  See  “Pension  and  Other  Post  Retirement  &  Employee 
Benefit Plans” above and Notes 9 and 10 to the Consolidated 
Financial Statements for additional information.

Effective January 1, 2006, the Company adopted Statements of 
Financial Accounting Standards No. 123 (revised 2004), Share 
Based Payment (SFAS No. 123 R), which requires the company 
to measure the cost of employee services received in exchange 
for all equity awards. See Note 15 to the Consolidated Financial 
Statements for further discussion. 

In  November  2004,  the  FASB  issued  Statement  of  Financial 
Accounting  Standards  (SFAS)  No.  151,  “Inventory  Costs,  an 
amendment of ARB No. 43, Chapter 4.” SFAS No. 151 amends 
Accounting Research Bulletin (ARB) No. 43, Chapter 4, to clarify 
that abnormal amounts of idle facility expense, freight, handling 
costs and wasted materials (spoilage) should be recognized as 
current-period  charges.  In  addition,  SFAS  No.  151  requires 
that  allocation  of  fixed  production  overhead  to  inventory  be 
based on the normal capacity of the production facilities. SFAS 
No. 151 was effective in the Company’s first quarter of 2006. 
The adoption of SFAS No. 151 did not have a significant impact 
on  the  Company’s  results  of  operations,  financial  position  or 
cash flows. 

ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND 
QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES  
ABOUT MARKET RISK 

The information required by this item is included under “Item 7. 
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition 
and Results of Operations.” 

56

ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA 

Report of Management on Danaher Corporation’s Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

The management of the Company is responsible for establishing and maintaining internal control over financial reporting. Internal 
control over financial reporting is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. 
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Projections of 
any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes 
in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

The Company completed the acquisition of Tektronix, Inc. on November 21, 2007. Management considers the transaction material 
to Company’s consolidated financial statements from the date of the acquisition through December 31, 2007, and believes that the 
internal controls and procedures of Tektronix have a material effect on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Due 
to the close proximity of the completion date of the acquisition to the date of management’s assessment of the effectiveness of the 
Company’s internal control over financial reporting, management excluded the Tektronix business from its assessment of internal 
control over financial reporting.  As of December 31, 2007, Tektronix, an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, accounted 
for $3.3 billion and $2.8 billion of the Company’s total and net assets, respectively, and $133 million and $62 million of the Company’s 
revenues and net loss, respectively, for the year then ended. 

The Company’s management assessed the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2007 
with the exception of the aforementioned Tektronix acquisition. In making this assessment, the Company’s management used the criteria 
set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in “Internal Control-Integrated Framework”. 
Based on this assessment, management concluded that, as of December 31, 2007, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting is 
effective based on those criteria. 

The Company’s independent auditors have issued an audit report on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial 
reporting. This report dated February 19, 2008 appears on page 58 of this Form 10-K.

57

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

The Board of Directors and Shareholders of Danaher Corporation: 

We have audited Danaher Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2007, based on criteria established 
in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (the COSO 
criteria). Danaher Corporation’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its 
assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting included in the accompanying Report of Management on Danaher 
Corporation’s Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the company’s internal control over 
financial reporting based on our audit. 

We  conducted  our  audit  in  accordance  with  the  standards  of  the  Public  Company  Accounting  Oversight  Board  (United  States).  Those 
standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial 
reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, 
assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based 
on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit 
provides a reasonable basis for our opinion. 

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of 
financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting 
principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance 
of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide 
reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally 
accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of 
management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized 
acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections 
of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in 
conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

As indicated in the accompanying Report of Management on Danaher Corporation’s Internal Control Over Financial Reporting, management’s 
assessment  of  and  conclusion  on  the  effectiveness  of  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  did  not  include  the  internal  controls  of 
Tektronix, Inc., which was acquired in 2007 and is included in the 2007 consolidated financial statements of Danaher Corporation and 
constituted $3.3 billion and $2.8 billion of total and net assets, respectively, as of December 31, 2007 and $133 million and $62 million of 
revenues and net loss, respectively, for the year then ended. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting of Danaher Corporation 
also did not include an evaluation of the internal control over financial reporting of Tektronix, Inc.

In our opinion, Danaher Corporation maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 
31, 2007, based on the COSO criteria.

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the consolidated 
balance sheets of Danaher Corporation as of December 31, 2007 and 2006, and the related consolidated statements of income, shareholders’ 
equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2007 and our report dated February 19, 2008 expressed 
an unqualified opinion thereon.

Ernst & Young LLP 
Baltimore, Maryland 
February 19, 2008

58

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm 

To the Board of Directors and Shareholders of Danaher Corporation:

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Danaher Corporation and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2007 
and 2006, and the related consolidated statements of earnings, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for each of the three years 
in  the  period  ended  December  31,  2007.  These  financial  statements  are  the  responsibility  of  the  Company’s  management.  Our 
responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits. 

We  conducted  our  audits  in  accordance  with  the  standards  of  the  Public  Company  Accounting  Oversight  Board  (United 
States).  Those  standards  require  that  we  plan  and  perform  the  audit  to  obtain  reasonable  assurance  about  whether  the 
financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting 
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and 
significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe 
that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion. 

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position 
of Danaher Corporation and subsidiaries at December 31, 2007 and 2006 and the consolidated results of their operations and 
their cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2007, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted 
accounting principles.

As discussed in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, in 2006 the Company adopted Statement of Financial Accounting 
Standards No. 123R, Share Based Payments, and adopted Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 158, Employers’ Accounting 
for Defined Benefit Pension and Other Post Retirement Plans – an amendment of FASB Statements Nos. 87, 88, 106, and 132R. Also, as 
discussed in Note 13 to the Consolidated Financial Statements, in 2007 the Company adopted FASB Interpretation No. 48, Accounting 
for Uncertainty in Income Taxes – an interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109.

59

We  have  also  audited,  in  accordance  with  the  standards  of  the  Public  Company  Accounting  Oversight  Board  (United  States), 
Danaher Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2007, based on the criteria established in Internal 
Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission and our report 
dated February 19, 2008 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon. 

Ernst & Young LLP 
Baltimore, Maryland 
February 19, 2008

Danaher Corporation and Subsidiaries Consolidated Statements of Earnings 

Year Ended December 31 ($ in thousands, except per share data)

2007

2006

2005

Sales

Operating costs and expenses:

Cost of sales

Selling, general and administrative expenses

Research and development expenses

Other (income) expense 

Total operating expenses

Operating profit

Interest expense

Interest income

Earnings from continuing operations before income taxes

Income taxes

Earnings from continuing operations

Earnings from discontinued operations, net of income taxes

$  11,025,917

$   9,466,056

$ 7,871,498

5,985,022

2,713,097

601,424

(14,335)

9,285,208

1,740,709

(109,702)

6,092

1,637,099

(423,101)

1,213,998

155,906

5,268,996

2,273,227

440,002

(16,379)

7,965,846

1,500,210

(79,375)

8,008

1,428,843

(319,637)

1,109,206

12,823

4,467,303

1,777,717

374,307

        4,596 

  6,623,923

  1,247,575

  (44,540)

14,707

   1,217,742

   (332,133)

885,609

12,191

Net earnings

$    1,369,904   

$   1,122,029

$    897,800

Earnings per share from continuing operations:

Basic 

Diluted

Earnings per share from discontinued operations:

60

Basic 

Diluted

Net earnings per share:

Basic 

Diluted

Average common stock and common equivalent shares outstanding  

(in thousands):

Basic

Diluted

See the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. 

$             3.90      

$             3.72      

$            3.60

$            3.44

$          2.87

$          2.72

$             0.50      

$             0.47      

$            0.04

$            0.04

$          0.04

$          0.04

$             4.40      

$             4.19      

$            3.64

$            3.48

$          2.91

$          2.76

311,225

329,459

307,984

325,251

308,905

327,983

 
Danaher Corporation and Subsidiaries Consolidated Balance Sheets

As of December 31 ($ and shares in thousands)

2007

2006

Assets

Current Assets:

Cash and equivalents

Trade accounts receivable, less allowance for  
doubtful accounts of $108,781 and $102,369 

Inventories

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

Total current assets

Property, plant and equipment, net 

Other assets

Goodwill 

Other intangible assets, net

Total assets

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

Current Liabilities:

$       239,108    

$      317,810

1,984,384

1,193,615

632,660

4,049,767

1,108,634

507,550

9,241,011

2,564,973

1,654,725

988,709

475,495

3,436,739

868,623

300,226

6,560,239

1,698,324

$  17,471,935 

$ 12,864,151

Notes payable and current portion of long-term debt

$       330,480     

$        10,855

Trade accounts payable

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

Total current liabilities

Other liabilities

Long-term debt

Stockholders’ equity:

Common stock – $0.01 par value, 1 billion shares authorized; 352,608  

and 341,223 issued; 317,984 and 308,242 outstanding

Additional paid-in capital

Retained earnings

Accumulated other comprehensive income

Total stockholders’ equity

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

See the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. 

61

1,125,600

1,443,773

2,899,853

2,090,630

3,395,764

3,526

1,718,716

6,820,756

542,690

9,085,688

932,870

1,515,989

2,459,714

1,336,916

2,422,861

3,412

1,027,454

5,421,809

191,985

6,644,660

$  17,471,935 

$ 12,864,151

 
Danaher Corporation and Subsidiaries Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows 

Year Ended December 31 ($ in thousands)

Cash flows from operating activities:

Net earnings

Less: earnings from discontinued operations, net of tax 

Net earnings from continuing operations

Non-cash items, net of the effect of discontinued operations: 

Depreciation

Amortization 

Stock compensation expense

Change in deferred income taxes

Change in trade accounts receivable, net

Change in inventories 

Change in accounts payable

Change in prepaid expenses and other assets

Change in accrued expenses and other liabilities

Total operating cash flows from continuing operations

Total operating cash flows from discontinued operations

Net cash flows from operating activities

Cash flows from investing activities:

Payments for additions to property, plant and equipment

Proceeds from disposals of property, plant and equipment

Total investing cash flows from discontinued operations

Net cash used in investing activities

Cash flows from financing activities:

Proceeds from issuance of common stock

Payment of dividends

Purchase of treasury stock

Net increase in borrowings (maturities of 90 days or less)

Proceeds from debt borrowings (maturities longer than 90 days)

Debt repayments

2007

2006

2005

$   1,369,904  

$  1,122,029

$  897,800

155,906

1,213,998

12,823

1,109,206

173,942

94,550

73,347

29,870

(72,555)

38,094

103,800

38,601

5,661

1,699,308

(53,533)

1,645,775

(162,071)

15,537

151,524

64,173

67,191

24,154

(48,255)

3,683

75,927

(14,962)

98,088

1,530,729

16,522

1,547,251

(136,411)

9,988

(722)

(1,295)

(3,445,759)

(2,769,370)

733,028

(34,275)

(117,486)

647,761

493,705

(10,563)

9,112

(78,702)

317,810

98,415

(24,589)

--

846,897

757,490

(459,372)

1,218,841

5,537

2,259

315,551

12,191

885,609

139,244

35,998

7,502

102,910

(66,534)

(20,611)

136,315

(38,258)

7,092

1,189,267

14,534

1,203,801

(119,733)

18,783

(885,083)

--

22,100

(963,933)

(1,473)

(965,406)

59,931

(21,553)

(257,696)

--

355,745

(647,987)

(511,560)

(20,399)

(293,564)

609,115

Net cash generated by (used in) financing activities

   1,712,170

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and equivalents

Net change in cash and equivalents

Beginning balance of cash and equivalents

Ending balance of cash and equivalents

See the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. 

$      239,108    

$     317,810

$  315,551

62

Cash paid for acquisitions

(3,576,562)

(2,656,035)

Cash paid for investment in acquisition target and  

other marketable securities

Proceeds from sale of investment and divestitures

(23,219)

301,278

(84,102)

98,485

Total investing cash flows from continuing operations

(3,445,037)

(2,768,075)

Danaher Corporation and Subsidiaries Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity 

($ and shares in thousands)

Shares

Amount

        Common Stock

Additional  
Paid-in 
Capital

Retained 
Earnings

Accumulated  
Other  
Comprehensive  
Income (Loss)

336,946

$ 3,369

$ 1,052,154

$ 3,448,122

$   116,037

Balance, January 1, 2005

Net earnings for the year

Dividends declared

--

--

Common stock based award activity

1,601

Treasury stock purchase  

(5 million shares)

Decrease from translation of  
foreign financial statements

Minimum pension liability  

(net of tax benefit of $3,579)

--

--

--

--

--

16

--

--

--

--

--

67,417

(257,696)

--

--

897,800

(21,553)

--

 --

--

--

Comprehensive  
Income

$    897,800

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

(216,447)

(216,447)

(8,869)

(8,869)

Balance, December 31, 2005

338,547

$ 3,385

$    861,875

$ 4,324,369

$ (109,279)

$    672,484

Net earnings for the year

Dividends declared 

--

--

Common stock based award activity

2,676

Increase from translation of foreign 

financial statements

Adjustment for adoption of SFAS No. 
158 (net of tax expense of $7,414 )

Minimum pension liability (net of tax 

expense of $1,289)

--

--

--

--

27

--

--

--

--

1,122,029

(24,589)

165,579

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

$ 1,122,029

--

--

284,413

284,413

15,629

--

1,222

1,222

Balance, December 31, 2006

341,223

$ 3,412

$ 1,027,454 

$ 5,421,809

$   191,985

$ 1,407,664

63

Cumulative impact of change in 
accounting for uncertainties in 
income taxes (FIN 48 – see Note 13)

Net earnings for the year

Dividends declared

Common stock issuance

Common stock issued in connection 

with LYONs’ conversion

Common stock based award activity 
(including 310 thousand restricted 
shares issued in connection with 
Tektronix acquisition)

Treasury stock purchase  
(1.6 million shares)

Increase from translation of foreign 

financial statements

Unrecognized pension and 

postretirement plan costs (net of tax 
expense of $21,735)

--

--

--

6,900

49

--

--

--

69

1

--

--

--

63,318

1,369,904

(34,275)

550,433

2,487

4,436

44

255,828

--

--

--

--

--

--

(117,486)

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

$ 1,369,904

--

--

--

--

--

305,758

305,758

44,947

44,947

--

--

--

--

--

--

Balance, December 31, 2007

352,608

$ 3,526

$ 1,718,716

$ 6,820,756

$   542,690

$ 1,720,609

See the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. 

(1)  Business And Summary Of  
Significant Accounting Policies: 

Business.  Danaher  Corporation  designs,  manufactures  and 
markets  professional,  medical, 
industrial  and  consumer 
products  which  are  typically  characterized  by  strong  brand 
names,  proprietary  technology  and  major  market  positions  in 
four business segments: Professional Instrumentation, Medical 
Technologies, Industrial Technologies and Tools & Components. 
Businesses in the Professional Instrumentation segment offer 
professional  and  technical  customers  various  products  and 
services  that  are  used  in  connection  with  the  performance 
of  their  work.  The  Professional  Instrumentation  segment 
encompasses two strategic businesses – test and measurement 
and environmental. These businesses produce and sell desktop 
and  compact,  professional  test  and  measurement  tools  and 
calibration equipment, a variety of video test and monitoring 
products, network management solutions, network diagnostic 
equipment and related services; water quality instrumentation 
and  consumables  and  ultraviolet  disinfection  systems;  and 
retail/commercial  petroleum  products  and  services,  including 
underground  storage  tank  leak  detection  and  vapor  recovery 
systems.  The  Medical  Technologies  segment 
includes 
businesses that design and manufacture acute care diagnostic 
instruments, high-precision optical systems for the analysis of 
microstructures; automated specimen preparation instruments 
and related reagents; and pathology diagnostic tests, including 
cancer  diagnostics  and  a  wide  range  of  products  used  by 
dental professionals. Businesses in the Industrial Technologies 
segment  manufacture  products  and  sub-systems  that  are 
typically  incorporated  by  customers  and  systems  integrators 
into production and packaging lines and by original equipment 
manufacturers (OEMs) into various end-products and systems. 
Many of the businesses also provide services to support their 
products, including helping customers integrate and install the 
products  and  helping  ensure  product  uptime.  The  Industrial 
Technologies segment encompasses two strategic businesses, 
motion  and  product  identification,  and  two  focused  niche 
businesses,  aerospace  and  defense  and  sensors  &  controls. 
These  businesses  produce  and  sell  product  identification 
equipment  and  consumables;  motion,  position,  speed, 
temperature, and level instruments and sensing devices; liquid 
flow and quality measuring devices; aerospace safety devices 
and defense articles; and electronic and mechanical counting 
and  controlling  devices.  The  Tools  &  Components  segment 
is  one  of  the  largest  domestic  producers  and  distributors  of 
general  purpose  and  specialty  mechanics’  hand  tools.  Other 

products  manufactured  by  the  businesses  in  this  segment 

include toolboxes and storage devices; diesel engine retarders; 

wheel service equipment; and drill chucks.

Accounting Principles.  The consolidated financial statements 

include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries. All 

intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated 

upon consolidation. 

Use  of  Estimates.  The  preparation  of  financial  statements  in 

conformity  with  accounting  principles  generally  accepted  in 

the United States requires management to make estimates and 

assumptions  that  affect  the  reported  amounts  of  assets  and 

liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities 

at the date of the financial statements as well as the reported 

amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. 

Actual results could differ from those estimates. 

Inventory Valuation. Inventories include the costs of material, 

labor  and  overhead.  Depending  on  the  business,  domestic 

inventories  are  stated  at  either  the  lower  of  cost  or  market 

using  the  last-in,  first-out  method  (LIFO)  or  the  lower  of  cost 

or market using the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method. Inventories 

held outside the United States are primarily stated at the lower 

of cost or market using the FIFO method.

Property,  Plant  and  Equipment.  Property,  plant  and  equipment 

are  carried  at  cost.  The  provision  for  depreciation  has  been 

computed principally by the straight-line method based on the 

estimated useful lives (3 to 35 years) of the depreciable assets. 

Other  Assets.  Other  assets  include  principally  noncurrent 

trade  receivables,  other  investments,  and  capitalized  costs 

associated with obtaining financings which are amortized over 

the term of the related debt. 

Fair Value of Financial Instruments. For cash and equivalents, 

the carrying amount is a reasonable estimate of fair value. For 

long-term debt, where quoted market prices are not available, 

rates  available  for  debt  with  similar  terms  and  remaining 

maturities are used to estimate the fair value of existing debt. 

Goodwill  and  Other  Intangible  Assets.  Goodwill  and  other 

intangible  assets  result  from  the  Company’s  acquisition  of 

existing businesses. In accordance with Statement of Financial 

Accounting Standard (SFAS) No. 142, amortization of recorded 

64

arrangements that include a general right of refund relative to 
the delivered element, performance of the undelivered element 
is  considered  probable  and  substantially  in  the  Company’s 
control. While determining fair value and identifying separate 
elements  require  judgment,  generally  fair  value  and  the 
separate elements are identifiable as those elements are also 
sold unaccompanied by other elements.

Research and Development. The Company conducts research 
and development activities for the purpose of developing new 
products,  enhancing  the  functionality,  effectiveness,  ease 
of use and reliability of the Company’s existing products and 
expanding  the  applications  for  which  uses  of  the  Company’s 
products are appropriate. Research and development costs are 
expensed as incurred. 

Foreign Currency Translation. Exchange adjustments resulting 
from  foreign  currency  transactions  are  recognized  in  net 
earnings, whereas adjustments resulting from the translation 
of  financial  statements  are  reflected  as  a  component  of 
accumulated other comprehensive income within stockholders’ 
equity. Net foreign currency transaction gains or losses are not 
material in any of the years presented. 

Cash and Equivalents. The Company considers all highly liquid 
investments with a maturity of three months or less at the date 
of purchase to be cash equivalents. 

65

Income  Taxes.  The  Company  accounts  for  income  taxes  in 
accordance with SFAS No. 109, Accounting for Income Taxes. 
Refer to Note 13 for additional information.

Income 

Accumulated  Other  Comprehensive 
(Loss).  The 
components  of  accumulated  other  comprehensive  income 
(loss)  are  summarized  below.  Foreign  currency  translation 
adjustments  are  generally  not  adjusted  for  income  taxes  as 
they relate to indefinite investments in non-US subsidiaries ($ 
in millions).

goodwill balances ceased effective January 1, 2002. However, 
amortization of certain identifiable intangible assets continues 
over the estimated useful lives of the identified asset. Refer to 
Notes 2 and 6 for additional information. 

Shipping  and  Handling.  Shipping  and  handling  costs  are 
included as a component of cost of sales. Shipping and handling 
costs billed to customers are included in sales. 

Revenue Recognition. As described above, the Company derives 
revenues  primarily  from  the  sale  of  professional,  industrial, 
medical  and  consumer  products  and  services.  For  revenue 
related to a product or service to qualify for recognition, there 
must  be  persuasive  evidence  of  a  sale,  delivery  must  have 
occurred or the services must have been rendered, the price to 
the customer must be fixed and determinable and collectibility 
of  the  balance  must  be  reasonably  assured.  The  Company’s 
standard  terms  of  sale  are  FOB  Shipping  Point  and,  as  such, 
the Company principally records revenue for product sale upon 
shipment.  If  any  significant  obligations  to  the  customer  with 
respect to such sale remain to be fulfilled following shipment, 
typically  involving  obligations  relating  to  installation  and 
acceptance by the buyer, revenue recognition is deferred until 
such  obligations  have  been  fulfilled.  Product  returns  consist 
of estimated returns for products sold and are recorded as a 
reduction in reported revenues at the time of sale as required 
by SFAS No. 48. Customer allowances and rebates, consisting 
primarily  of  volume  discounts  and  other  short-term  incentive 
programs, are recorded as a reduction in reported revenues at 
the time of sale because these allowances reflect a reduction 
in the purchase price for the products purchased in accordance 
with EITF 01-9, Accounting for Consideration Given to Vendor to 
a Customer (including a Reseller of a Vendor’s Products). Product 
returns, customer allowances and rebates are estimated based 
on  historical  experience  and  known  trends.  Revenue  related 
to maintenance agreements is recognized as revenue over the 
term of the agreement as required by FASB Technical Bulletin 
90-1, Accounting for Separately Priced Extended Warranty and 
Product Maintenance Contracts. 

Revenues for contractual arrangements with multiple elements 
are  allocated  pursuant  to  Emerging  Issues  Task  Force  Issue 
00-21,  Accounting  for  Revenue  Arrangements  with  Multiple 
Deliverables.  Revenues  are  recognized  for  the  separate 
elements when the product or services have value on a stand-
alone basis, fair value of the separate elements exists and, in 

Foreign Currency 
Translation 
Adjustment

Minimum 
Pension Liability 
Adjustment

Unrecognized 
Pension and Post-
Retirement Costs, 
Net of Income Tax

Total Accumulated 
Comprehensive 
Income (Loss)

$      223.2 

$   (107.2)

$             --

$     116.0 

(216.5)

6.7 

       284.5 

--  

291.2 

305.8

 (8.8)

   (116.0)

     1.2 

    114.8 

--  

--

--

--

--

       (99.2)

 (99.2)

44.9

 (225.3)

 (109.3)

  285.7 

   15.6 

192.0 

350.7

Balance, January 1, 2005

Current-period change

Balance, December 31, 2005

Current-period change

Adoption of SFAS No. 158

Balance, December 31, 2006

Current-period change

Balance, December 31, 2007

 $      597.0  

 $            --            

$      (54.3)  

 $     542.7    

See  Notes  9  and  10  for  additional  information  related  to 
the  minimum  pension  liability  and  unrecognized  losses 
and  prior  service  cost  components  of  accumulated  other 
comprehensive income. 

other  postretirement  benefit  plans  and  post-employment  benefit 
plans on the balance sheet. The Company adopted SFAS 158 as of 
December 31, 2006. See Notes 9 & 10 for additional information. 

New Accounting Pronouncements—See Note 18. 

Accounting for Stock Options. As described in Note 15, effective 
January 1, 2006, the Company adopted Statement of Financial 
Accounting  Standards  No.  123  (revised  2004),  Share-Based 
Payment  (SFAS  No.  123R),  which  requires  the  Company  to 
measure the cost of employee services received in exchange for 
all equity awards granted, including stock options and restricted 
stock units (RSUs), based on the fair market value of the award 
as of the grant date. SFAS No. 123R supersedes Statement of 
Financial Accounting Standards No. 123, Accounting for Stock-
Based Compensation and Accounting Principles Board Opinion 
No. 25, Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees (“APB 25”). 
The Company has adopted SFAS No. 123R using the modified 
prospective application method of adoption which requires the 
Company to record compensation cost related to unvested stock 
awards as of December 31, 2005 by recognizing the unamortized 
grant date fair value of these awards over the remaining service 
periods of those awards with no change in historical reported 
earnings. Awards granted after December 31, 2005 are valued 
at fair value in accordance with the provisions of SFAS No. 123R 
and generally recognized as an expense on a straight-line basis 
over the service periods of each award. 

Pension  &  Post  Retirement  Benefit  Plans.  On  September  29, 
2006,  SFAS  No.  158,  Employers’  Accounting  for  Defined  Benefit 
Pension  and  Other  Postretirement  Plans  was  issued.  SFAS  No. 
158 requires, among other things, the recognition of the funded 
status of each defined benefit pension plan, retiree health care and 

(2)  Acquisitions And Divestitures: 

The Company has completed a number of acquisitions during the 
years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005 that were either 
a strategic fit with an existing Company business or were of such 
a nature and size as to establish a new strategic line of business 
for growth for the Company. All of these acquisitions have been 
accounted for as purchases and have resulted in the recognition 
of goodwill in the Company’s financial statements. This goodwill 
arises because the purchase prices for these businesses reflect 
a  number  of  factors  including  the  future  earnings  and  cash 
flow  potential  of  these  businesses;  the  multiple  to  earnings, 
cash flow and other factors at which similar businesses have 
been  purchased  by  other  acquirers;  the  competitive  nature  of 
the process by which the Company acquired the business; and 
the  complementary  strategic  fit  and  resulting  synergies  these 
businesses bring to existing operations.

The  Company  makes  an  initial  allocation  of  the  purchase 
price  at  the  date  of  acquisition  based  upon  its  understanding 
of  the  fair  market  value  of  the  acquired  assets  and  liabilities. 
The  Company  obtains  this  information  during  due  diligence 
and through other sources. In the months after closing, as the 
Company  obtains  additional  information  about  these  assets 
and  liabilities  and  learns  more  about  the  newly  acquired 
business, it is able to refine the estimates of fair market value 

66

and  more  accurately  allocate  the  purchase  price.  Examples  of 
factors  and  information  that  the  Company  uses  to  refine  the 
allocations  include:  tangible  and  intangible  asset  appraisals; 
cost  data  related  to  redundant  facilities;  employee/personnel 
data  related  to  redundant  functions;  product  line  integration 
and  rationalization  information;  management  capabilities;  and 
information systems compatibilities. The only items considered 
for  subsequent  adjustment  are  items  identified  as  of  the 
acquisition date. The Company has reflected the impact of any 
significant  pre-acquisition  contingencies  (as  contemplated  by 
SFAS  No.  38,  Accounting  for  Preacquisition  Contingencies  of 
Purchased Enterprises) related to its 2006 acquisitions in the final 
purchase price allocation for these acquisitions.  The Company 
is  continuing  to  evaluate  certain  pre-acquisition  contingencies 
associated with certain of its 2007 acquisitions and will make 
appropriate adjustments to the purchase price allocation prior to 
the one-year anniversary of the acquisition, as required.

The  following  briefly  describes  the  Company’s  acquisition  and 
divestiture activity for the three years ended December 31, 2007.

In  November  2007,  the  Company  acquired  Tektronix,  Inc. 
(Tektronix)  for  a  cash  purchase  price  of  approximately  $2.8 
billion  including  transaction  costs  and  net  of  cash  and  debt 
acquired.  The  Company  initially  financed  the  acquisition  of 
Tektronix  through  the  issuance  of  commercial  paper  and 
available  cash  (including  proceeds  from  the  underwritten 
public  offering  of  6.9  million  shares  of  Danaher  common 
stock  completed  on  November  2,  2007  –  refer  to  Note  15). 
Subsequent  to  the  acquisition,  the  Company  issued  $500 
million of 5.625% senior notes due 2018 in an underwritten 
public  offering  (refer  to  Note  8)  and  used  the  net  proceeds 
from  this  offering  to  repay  a  portion  of  the  commercial 
paper  issued  to  finance  the  Tektronix  acquisition.  Tektronix 
is  a  leading  supplier  of  test,  measurement,  and  monitoring 
products,  solutions  and  services  for  the  communications, 
computer,  consumer  electronics,  and  education  industries  – 
as  well  as  military/aerospace,  semiconductor,  and  a  broad 
range  of  other  industries  worldwide  and  had  revenues  of 
$1.1  billion  in  its  most  recent  completed  fiscal  year  prior  to 
the  acquisition.  Tektronix  is  part  of  the  Company’s  test  and 
measurement  business  and  its  results  are  reported  within 
the  Professional  Instrumentation  segment.  The  Company 
recorded  a  preliminary  estimate  of  goodwill  of  $1.8  billion 
related  to  the  acquisition  of  Tektronix  which  arose  primarily 
due to the strategic fit of Tektronix with existing operations, 

the  worldwide  leadership  position  of  Tektronix  in  its  served 
markets and the earnings growth potential of this business. In 
addition, the Company allocated $60.4 million of the purchase 
price  to  in-process  research  and  development  reflecting  the 
estimated  fair  value  of  this  acquired  intangible  asset.  This 
amount  was  immediately  expensed  in  accordance  with  the 
provisions of SFAS No. 141, Business Combinations.

In  July  2007,  the  Company  acquired  all  of  the  outstanding 
shares  of  ChemTreat,  Inc.  (ChemTreat)  for  a  cash  purchase 
price  of  $425  million  including  transaction  costs.  No  cash 
was  acquired  in  the  transaction.  The  Company  financed  the 
acquisition  primarily  with  proceeds  from  the  issuance  of 
commercial paper and to a lesser extent from available cash. 
ChemTreat is a leading provider of industrial water treatment 
products and services, and had annual revenues of $200 million 
in its most recent completed fiscal year prior to the acquisition. 
ChemTreat is part of the Company’s environmental business and 
its results are reported within the Professional Instrumentation 
segment. ChemTreat is expected to provide additional sales and 
earnings  growth  opportunities  for  the  Company  both  through 
the  growth  of  existing  products  and  services  and  through 
the  potential  acquisition  of  complementary  businesses.  The 
Company recorded a preliminary estimate of goodwill of $329 
million  related  to  the  acquisition  of  ChemTreat  which  arose 
primarily due to the expected revenue and earnings growth of 
this business.

In  addition  to  completing  the  acquisitions  of  Tektronix  and 
ChemTreat,  the  Company  acquired  ten  other  companies  or 
product  lines  during  2007.  Total  consideration  for  these  ten 
acquisitions  was  $273  million  in  cash,  including  transaction 
costs  and  net  of  cash  acquired.  Each  company  acquired  is  a 
manufacturer  and  assembler  of  instrumentation  products,  in 
market segments such as test and measurement, dental tech-
nologies, product identification, sensors and controls and envi-
ronmental instruments. These companies were all acquired to 
complement existing units of the Professional Instrumentation, 
Medical Technologies or Industrial Technologies segments. The 
aggregate annual sales of these ten acquired businesses at the 
time of their respective acquisitions, in each case based on the 
company’s revenues for its last completed fiscal year prior to 
the acquisition, were $123 million. The Company has recorded 
a preliminary estimate of goodwill related to these acquisitions 
of $174 million reflecting the strategic fit and revenue and earn-
ings growth potential of these businesses.

67

In the first quarter of 2007 and the last quarter of 2006, the 
Company acquired all of the outstanding shares of Vision for 
an aggregate cash purchase price of $525 million, including 
transaction  costs  and  net  of  $113  million  of  cash  acquired, 
and  assumed  debt  of  $1.5  million.  Of  this  purchase  price, 
$96  million  was  paid  during  2007  to  acquire  the  remaining 
shares  of  Vision  that  the  Company  did  not  own  as  of 
December 31, 2006 and for transaction costs. The Company 
financed the transaction through a combination of available 
cash and the issuance of commercial paper. Vision, based in 
Australia, manufactures and markets automated instruments, 
antibodies  and  biochemical  reagents  used  for  biopsy-
based detection of cancer and infectious diseases, and had 
revenues  of  $86  million  in  its  most  recent  completed  fiscal 
year prior to the acquisition. The Vision acquisition resulted 
in the recognition of goodwill of $432 million, of which $76 
million was recorded in 2007. Goodwill associated with this 
acquisition primarily relates to Vision’s future revenue growth 
and earnings potential.

In  May  2006,  the  Company  acquired  all  of  the  outstanding 
shares of Sybron Dental for total consideration of approximately 
$2 billion, including transaction costs and net of approximately 
$94 million of cash acquired, and assumed approximately $182 
million  of  debt.  Substantially  all  of  the  assumed  debt  was 
subsequently repaid or refinanced prior to December 31, 2006. 
Danaher financed the acquisition of shares and the refinancing 
of the assumed debt primarily with proceeds from the issuance 
of commercial paper and to a lesser extent from available cash. 
The Sybron acquisition resulted in the recognition of goodwill 
of $1.5 billion primarily related to Sybron’s future earnings and 
cash flow potential and the world-wide leadership position of 
Sybron in many of its served markets.  

In addition to Sybron Dental and Vision, the Company acquired 
nine  other  companies  and  product  lines  in  2006  for  total 
consideration of approximately $213 million in cash, including 
transaction  costs,  net  of  cash  acquired.  In  general,  each 
company  is  a  manufacturer  and  assembler  of  environmental 
instrumentation, medical equipment or industrial products, in 
markets such as test and measurement, acute care diagnostics, 
water quality, product identification, and sensors and controls. 
These  companies  were  all  acquired  to  complement  existing 
units of the Professional Instrumentation, Medical Technologies 
or Industrial Technologies segments. The Company recorded an 
aggregate of $130 million of goodwill related to these acquired 

businesses. The aggregated annual sales of these nine acquired 
businesses  at  the  dates  of  their  respective  acquisitions,  in 
each  case  based  on  the  acquired  company’s  revenues  for 
its  last  completed  fiscal  year  prior  to  the  acquisition  were 
approximately $140 million.

In  January  2006,  the  Company  commenced  an  all  cash 
tender offer for all of the outstanding ordinary shares of First 
Technology plc, a U.K. - based public company.  In connection 
with the offer, the Company acquired an aggregate of 19.5% 
of  First  Technology’s  issued  share  capital  for  $84  million.    A 
competing bidder subsequently made an offer that surpassed 
the  Company’s  bid,  and  as  a  result  the  Company  allowed  its 
offer  for  First  Technology  to  lapse.    The  Company  tendered 
its  shares  into  the  other  bidder’s  offer  and  on  April  7,  2006 
received proceeds of $98 million from the sale of these shares, 
in addition to a $3 million break-up fee paid by First Technology 
to the Company.   The Company recorded a pre-tax gain of $14 
million ($8.9 million after-tax, or $0.03 per diluted share) upon 
the sale of these securities including the related break-up fee, 
net of related transaction costs during the year ended December 
31, 2006, which is included in “other (income) expense” in the 
accompanying Statement of Earnings.

In  the  first  quarter  of  2005  the  Company  acquired  all  of  the 
outstanding  shares  of  Linx  Printing  Technologies  PLC,  a 
publicly-held  U.K.  based  coding  and  marking  business,  for 
$171  million  in  cash,  including  transaction  costs  and  net  of 
cash acquired of $2 million. Linx complements the Company’s 
product  identification  businesses  and  had  annual  revenue  of 
approximately  $93  million  in  2004.  This  acquisition  resulted 
in the recognition of goodwill of $96 million, primarily related 
to the future earnings and cash flow potential of Linx and its 
synergies  with  the  Company’s  existing  operations.  Linx  has 
been  included  in  the  Company’s  Consolidated  Statement  of 
Earnings since January 3, 2005.

In August 2005, the Company acquired all of the outstanding 
shares  of  German-based  Leica  Microsystems  AG,  for  an 
aggregate  purchase  price  of  €210  million  in  cash,  including 
transaction costs and net of cash acquired of €12 million and 
the  assumption  and  repayment  at  closing  of  €125  million 
outstanding  Leica  debt  ($429  million  in  aggregate  as  of  the 
date of the acquisition). The Company funded this acquisition 
and the repayment of debt assumed using available cash and 
through borrowings under uncommitted lines of credit totaling 

68

$222  million,  which  have  subsequently  been  repaid.  Leica 
complements  the  Company’s  medical  technologies  business 
and  had  annual  revenues  of  approximately  $540  million  in 
2004  (excluding  the  approximately  $120  million  of  revenue 
attributable  to  the  semiconductor  business  that  has  been 
divested, as described below). The Leica acquisition resulted in 
the recognition of goodwill of $332 million primarily related to 
Leica’s future earnings and cash flow potential and world-wide 
leadership  position  of  Leica  in  its  served  markets.  Leica  has 
been  included  in  the  Company’s  Consolidated  Statements  of 
Earnings since August 31, 2005.

In September 2005, the Company also completed the sale of 
Leica’s semiconductor equipment business which was held for 
sale at the time of the acquisition. This business had historically 
operated at a loss. Proceeds from the sale have been reflected as 
a reduction in the purchase price for Leica in the accompanying 
Consolidated  Statement  of  Cash  Flows.  Operating  losses  for 
this  business  for  the  period  from  acquisition  to  disposition 
totaled approximately $1.3 million and are reflected in “Other 
expense  (income),  net”  in  the  accompanying  Consolidated 
Statements of Earnings.

In  addition  to  Linx  and  Leica,  the  Company  acquired  11 
smaller  companies  and  product  lines  during  2005  for  total 
consideration  of  $285  million  in  cash,  including  transaction 
costs  and  net  of  cash  acquired.  In  general,  each  company 
is  a  manufacturer  and  assembler  of  environmental  or 
in  markets  such  as  medical 
instrumentation  products, 
technologies, test and measurement, motion, environmental, 
product identification, sensors and controls and aerospace and 
defense. These companies were all acquired to complement 
existing  units  of  the  Professional  Instrumentation,  Medical 
Technologies  or 
Industrial  Technologies  segments.  The 
Company recorded an aggregate of $222 million of goodwill 
related  to  these  acquired  businesses.  The  aggregate  annual 
sales  of  these  11  acquired  businesses  at  the  time  of  their 
respective  acquisitions,  in  each  case  based  on  the  acquired 
company’s revenues for its last completed fiscal year prior to 
the acquisition, were approximately $260 million.

In June 2005, the Company divested one insignificant business 
that  was  reported  as  a  continuing  operation  within  the 
Industrial  Technologies  segment  for  aggregate  proceeds  of 
$12.1 million in cash net of related transaction expenses. Sales 
related  to  this  divested  business  included  in  the  Company’s 
results  for  2005  were  $7.5  million.  The  Company  recorded  a 
pre-tax gain of $4.6 million on the divestiture which is reported 
as  a  component  of  “Other  expense  (income),  net”  in  the 
accompanying Consolidated Statements of Earnings. Net cash 
proceeds received on the sale are included in “Proceeds from 
Divestitures” in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of 
Cash Flows.

In  June  2005,  the  Company  collected  $14.6  million  in  full 
payment of a retained interest that was in the form of a $10 
million note receivable and an equity interest arising from the 
sale of a prior business. The Company had recorded this note 
net of applicable allowances and had not previously recognized 
interest  income  on  the  note  due  to  uncertainties  associated 
with  collection  of  the  principal  balance  of  the  note  and  the 
related interest. As a result of the collection, during the second 
quarter of 2005 the Company recorded $4.6 million of interest 
income related to the cumulative interest received on this note. 
In  addition,  during  the  second  quarter  of  2005  the  Company 
recorded a pre-tax gain of $5.3 million related to collection of 
the  note  balance  which  has  been  recorded  as  a  component 
of  “Other  expense  (income),  net”  in  the  accompanying 
Consolidated Statements of Earnings. Cash proceeds from the 
collection of the principal balance of $10 million are included in 
“Proceeds from Divestitures” in the accompanying Consolidated 
Statements of Cash Flows.

Disposals  of  fixed  assets  yielded  approximately  $19  million 
of  cash  proceeds  during  2005  primarily  related  to  a  sale 
of  a  building  which  generated  a  pre-tax  gain  $5.3  million  in 
2005 which was included as a component of “Other expense 
(income), net” in the accompanying Consolidated Statements 
of Earnings.

69

The following table summarizes the estimated fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the date of acquisition for all 
acquisitions consummated during 2007, 2006, and 2005 and the individually significant acquisitions discussed above ($ in thousands): 

Overall

Accounts receivable

Inventory

Property, plant and equipment

Goodwill

Other intangible assets, primarily customer  
relationships, trade names and patents

In-process research and development

Refundable escrowed purchase price

Accounts payable

Other assets and liabilities, net

Assumed debt

Net cash consideration 

2007

2006

2005

$     200,199   

$     143,441

$       171,978

207,336

202,203

136,855

116,388

2,455,473

2,009,826

138,626

77,088

650,261

884,263

60,400

48,504

(57,617)

(420,418)

(3,781)

865,449

172,362

6,500

--

(50,057)

(389,200)

(183,167)

--

--

(65,706)

(245,162)

(14,364)

$  3,576,562

$  2,656,035

$       885,083

Significant 2007 Acquisitions

Tektronix

ChemTreat

All Others

Total

Accounts receivable

Inventory

Property, plant and equipment

Goodwill

70

Other intangible assets, primarily customer  
relationships, trade names and patents

In-process research and development

Refundable escrowed purchase price

Accounts payable

Other assets and liabilities, net

Assumed debt

Net cash consideration 

$      149,315

$       33,982

$      16,902

$       200,199

181,753

185,567

1,874,578

720,000

60,400

48,504

(35,919)

(401,308)

--

6,541

10,655

330,847

72,000

--

--

(11,468)

(17,891)

--

19,042

5,981

250,048

92,263

--

--

(10,230)

(1,219)

(3,781)

207,336

202,203

2,455,473

884,263

60,400

48,504

(57,617)

(420,418)

(3,781)

$   2,782,890

$     424,666

$    369,006

$     3,576,562

Significant 2006 Acquisitions

      Sybron Dental

           Vision

     All Others

Total

Accounts receivable

Inventory

Property, plant and equipment

Goodwill

Other intangible assets, primarily customer 
relationships, trade names and patents

In-process research and development

Accounts payable

Other assets and liabilities, net

Assumed debt

Net cash consideration 

$      103,335

$       24,165

 $      15,941

$    143,441

108,777

91,769

1,523,348

686,900

--

(31,744)

(286,090)

(181,671)

24,709

20,703

356,967

102,003

6,500

(8,816)

(96,189)

(1,496)

3,369

3,916

136,855

116,388

129,511

2,009,826

76,546

  865,449

--

(9,497)

(6,921)

--

6,500

(50,057)

(389,200)

(183,167)

$   2,014,624

$     428,546

$    212,865

$ 2,656,035

Significant 2005 Acquisitions

                       Leica

              Linx

      All Others

Total

Accounts receivable

Inventory

Property, plant and equipment

Goodwill

Other intangible assets, primarily customer 
relationships, trade names and patents

Accounts payable

Other assets and liabilities, net

Assumed debt

Net cash consideration 

The unaudited pro forma information for the periods set forth 
below gives effect to the above noted acquisitions as if they 
had  occurred  at  the  beginning  of  the  period.  The  pro  forma 
information  is  presented  for  informational  purposes  only  and 
is  not  necessarily  indicative  of  the  results  of  operations  that 
actually would have been achieved had the acquisitions been 
consummated as of that time (unaudited, $ in thousands except 
per share amounts): 

2007

2006

Net sales 

$   12,155,806

$   11,316,462

Net earnings from 

continuing operations

$     1,230,134

$     1,112,369

Diluted earnings  
per share from  
continuing operations

$              3.70

$              3.38

$   123,064

$     17,094

$   31,820

$  171,978

105,454

56,239

331,806

85,592

(40,358)

(226,912)

(5,503)

8,437

8,498

96,480

47,188

(7,430)

600

--

24,735

12,351

221,975

39,582

(17,918)

(18,850)

(8,861)

138,626

77,088

650,261

172,362

(65,706)

(245,162)

(14,364)

$   429,382

$   170,867

$ 284,834

$  885,083

In  connection  with  its  acquisitions,  the  Company  assesses 
and formulates a plan related to the future integration of the 
acquired entity. This process begins during the due diligence 
process and is concluded within 12 months of the acquisition. 
The  Company  accrues  estimates  for  certain  costs,  related 
primarily  to  personnel  reductions  and  facility  closures  or 
restructurings,  anticipated  at  the  date  of  acquisition,  in 
accordance with Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF) Issue No. 
95-3, “Recognition of Liabilities in Connection with a Purchase 
Business  Combination.”  Adjustments  to  these  estimates  are 
made up to 12 months from the acquisition date as plans are 
finalized. To the extent these accruals are not utilized for the 
intended purpose, the excess is recorded as a reduction of the 
purchase  price,  reducing  recorded  goodwill  balances.  Costs 
incurred  in  excess  of  the  recorded  accruals  are  expensed  as 
incurred. The Company is still finalizing its restructuring plans 
with respect to certain of its 2007 acquisitions, particularly the 
Tektronix acquisition, and will adjust current accrual levels to 
reflect such restructuring plans as such plans are finalized.

71

Accrued liabilities associated with these exit activities include the following ($ in thousands, except headcount): 

Balance, January 1, 2005

Headcount / accruals related to 2005 acquisitions

Adjustments to previously provided estimates

Headcount reductions / costs incurred in 2005

Balance, December 31, 2005

Headcount / accruals related to 2006 acquisitions

Adjustments to previously provided estimates

Headcount reductions / costs incurred in 2006

Balance, December 31, 2006

Headcount / accruals related to 2007 acquisitions

Adjustments to previously provided estimates

Headcount reductions / costs incurred in 2007

Balance, December 31, 2007

Involuntary Employee Termination Benefits

    Headcount

563

820

204

(891)

696

201

(150)

(282)

465

61

(133)

(64)

329

Dollars

$    35,105

24,346

(4,505)

(27,058)

27,888

14,824

(1,069)

(17,228)

   24,415

1,181

(2,224)

 (14,068)

$      9,304

Facility Closure  
and Restructuring

$    33,608

14,341

(7,407)

(17,964)

22,578

6,820

858

(8,308)

21,948

521

288

 (9,462)

$    13,295

72

The  adjustments  to  previously  provided  reserves  reflect 
finalization  of  the  restructuring  plans.  All  adjustments  to 
the  previously  provided  reserves  resulted  in  adjustments  to 
goodwill  in  accordance  with  EITF  95-3.  Involuntary  employee 
termination  benefits  are  presented  as  a  component  of  the 
Company’s  compensation  and  benefits  accrual  included  in 
accrued expenses in the accompanying balance sheet. Facility 
closure and restructuring costs are reflected in other accrued 
expenses. Refer to Note 7. 

(3) Discontinued Operations:

In  July  2007,  the  Company  completed  the  sale  of  its  power 
quality  business  for  a  sale  price  of  $275  million  in  cash,  net 
of  transaction  costs,  and  recorded  an  after-tax  gain  of  $150 

million  ($0.45  per  diluted  share).  The  power  quality  business 
designs, makes and sells power quality and reliability products 
and services, and prior to the sale was part of the Company’s 
Industrial  Technologies  segment.  The  Company  has  reported 
the power quality business as a discontinued operation in this 
Form  10-K  in  accordance  with  SFAS  No.  144,  Accounting  for 
the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets. Accordingly, 
the  results  of  operations  for  all  periods  presented  have 
been  reclassified  to  reflect  the  power  quality  business  as  a 
discontinued operation. The assets and liabilities of the power 
quality business have been reclassified as held for sale within 
other current assets and other current liabilities at December 
31, 2006. The Company allocated a portion of the consolidated 
interest expense to discontinued operations in accordance with 
EITF 87-24, Allocation of Interest to Discontinued Operations. 

The key components of income from discontinued operations related to the power quality business for the years ended December 
31 were as follows ($ in thousands):

Net sales

Operating expense

Allocated interest expense

Earnings before taxes

Income taxes

Earnings from discontinued operations

Gain on sale, net of $61,369 of related income taxes

Earnings from discontinued operations, net of income taxes

2007

$     81,141

72,239

351

8,551

(2,279)

6,272

  149,634

$   155,906

2006

$  130,348

112,565

454

17,329

(4,506)

12,823

--

2005

$  113,206

96,113

393

16,700

(4,509)

12,191

  --

$    12,823

$    12,191

The  key  components  of  assets  and  liabilities  of  discontinued 
operations related to the power quality businesses which are 
included in other current assets and other current liabilities in 
the balance sheet consisted of the following ($ in thousands): 

(5)  Property, Plant And Equipment: 

The classes of property, plant and equipment are summarized 
as follows ($ in thousands): 

Trade accounts receivable, net

Inventory

Property, plant and equipment,  
net of accumulated depreciation

Goodwill

Other assets

Total assets

Trade accounts payable

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

Total liabilities

December 31, 2006

$    20,245

16,651

5,745

35,884

866

$   79,391

$   19,467

8,020

$   27,487

(4)  Inventory: 

The classes of inventory are summarized as follows  
($ in thousands): 

December 31, 2007

December 31, 2006

Finished goods

$      547,742 

$    429,740

Work in process

Raw material

195,332

450,541

182,809

376,160

$   1,193,615 

$    988,709

If  the  first-in,  first-out  (FIFO)  method  had  been  used  for 
inventories  valued  at  LIFO  cost,  such  inventories  would  have 
been $18 million and $11 million higher at December 31, 2007 
and 2006, respectively. 

December 31, 2007 December 31, 2006

Land and 

improvements

$       105,096  

$       73,795

Buildings

Machinery and 
equipment

Less accumulated 
depreciation 

679,575

546,469

1,726,426

2,511,097

1,515,724

2,135,988

(1,402,463)

(1,267,365)

$    1,108,634 

$     868,623

 (6)  Goodwill & Other Intangible Assets:

As  discussed  in  Note  2,  goodwill  arises  from  the  excess  of 
the purchase price for acquired businesses exceeding the fair 
value of tangible and intangible assets acquired. Management 
assesses  goodwill  for  impairment  for  each  of  its  reporting 
units at least annually at the beginning of the fourth quarter 
or  as  “triggering”  events  occur.  In  making  its  assessment  of 
goodwill  impairment,  management  relies  on  a  number  of 
factors  including  operating results,  business  plans,  economic 
projections, anticipated future cash flows, and transactions and 
market place data. The Company’s annual impairment test was 
performed in the fourth quarters of 2007, 2006 and 2005 and 
no impairment was identified. There are inherent uncertainties 
related to these factors and management’s judgment in applying 
them to the analysis of goodwill impairment which may affect 
the carrying value of goodwill.

73

 
The following table shows the rollforward of goodwill reflected 
in  the  financial  statements  resulting  from  the  Company’s 
acquisition activities for 2005, 2006, and 2007 ($ in millions). 

The carrying value of goodwill by segment is summarized as 
follows ($ in millions):

Balance January 1, 2005

  $   3,934

Segment

December  
31, 2007

December 
31, 2006

Attributable to 2005 acquisitions

Adjustments due to finalization of purchase 

price allocations

Attributable to 2005 disposition

Effect of foreign currency translation

Balance December 31, 2005

Attributable to 2006 acquisitions

Adjustments due to finalization of purchase 

price allocations

Effect of foreign currency translation

Balance December 31, 2006

Attributable to 2007 acquisitions

Adjustments due to finalization of purchase 

price allocations

Effect of foreign currency translation

Balance December 31, 2007

650

(1)

(5)

(139)

$   4,439

2,010

(38)

149

$   6,560

2,455

(12)

238

$   9,241   

Professional Instrumentation

$   3,797

$   1,455

Medical Technologies

Industrial Technologies

Tools & Components

3,244

2,006

194

2,924

1,987

194

$   9,241

$   6,560

Goodwill  of  $36  million  associated  with  the  discontinued 
power quality business (refer to Note 3) was classified as other 
assets in the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 
2006  and  prior  period  information  has  been  reclassified  to 
reflect this change. 

Intangible  assets  are  amortized  over  their  legal  or  estimated 
useful life. The following summarizes the gross carrying value 
and  accumulated  amortization  for  each  major  category  of 
intangible asset ($ in thousands): 

74

           December 31, 2007

          December 31, 2006

Gross Carrying 
Amount

Accumulated 
Amortization

Gross Carrying 
Amount

Accumulated 
Amortization

Finite – Lived Intangibles

Patents & technology

$     460,976   

$    (84,669)  

$     252,180   

$    (57,434)  

Other intangibles (primarily 
customer relationships)

Total finite – lived intangibles

Indefinite – Lived Intangibles

Trademarks & trade names

1,268,820

1,729,796

1,104,959

$  2,834,755 

(185,113)

(269,782)

877,452

1,129,632

(108,833)

(166,267)

--

734,959

--

$  (269,782)

$  1,864,591 

$  (166,267) 

Total  intangible  amortization  expense  in  2007,  2006  and  2005  was  $95  million,  $64  million  and  $36  million,  respectively.  The 
estimated  amortization  expense  for  year  ending  December  31,  2008  is  $140  million,  before  amounts  associated  with  2008 
acquisitions, if any.

(7) Accrued Expenses And Other Liabilities: 

 Accrued expenses and other liabilities include the following ($ in thousands): 

             December 31, 2007

            December 31, 2006

Current

Non-Current

Current

Non-Current

Compensation and benefits

$     530,949   

$    525,966  

$    463,643

$    498,248

Claims, including self-insurance and litigation

Postretirement benefits

Environmental and regulatory compliance

Taxes, income and other

Sales and product allowances

Warranty

Other, individually less than 5% of current or total liabilities

88,787

13,100

47,537

237,458

250,393

98,200

177,349

70,184

115,200

79,299

1,261,233

15,085

12,500

11,163

81,640

10,500

46,330

437,272

160,986

82,878

232,740

66,158

99,500

74,812

564,370

--

14,500

19,328

$  1,443,773 

$ 2,090,630

$ 1,515,989

$ 1,336,916

Approximately $209 million of accrued expenses and other liabilities were guaranteed by standby letters of credit and 
performance  bonds  as  of  December  31,  2007.    Refer  to  Note  13  for  further  discussion  of  the  Company’s  income  tax 
obligations. 

(8)  Financing: 

The components of the Company’s debt as of December 31, 2007 and 2006 were as follows ($ in thousands):

Euro-denominated commercial paper (€164 million)
U.S. dollar-denominated commercial paper

4.5% guaranteed Eurobond Notes due 2013 (€500 million)
6.1% notes due 2008

Zero-coupon Liquid Yield Option Notes due 2021 (LYONs)

5.625% notes due 2018

Other

Less – currently payable

December 31, 2007

December 31, 2006

$      239,715

$       786,762 

75

1,311,211

729,600

   250,000  

605,938

500,000

89,780

3,726,244

330,480

79,976

660,150

    250,000

594,241

--

62,587

2,433,716

10,855

$   3,395,764    

$    2,422,861

The Company satisfies its short-term liquidity needs primarily 
through  issuances  of  U.S.  dollar  and  Euro  commercial  paper. 
Under the Company’s U.S. and Euro commercial paper programs, 
the  Company  or  a  subsidiary  of  the  Company,  as  applicable, 
may issue and sell unsecured, short-term promissory notes in 
aggregate  principal  amount  not  to  exceed  $4.0  billion.  Since 
the credit facilities described below provide credit support for 
the  program,  the  $2.5  billion  of  availability  under  the  credit 
facilities has the practical effect of reducing from $4.0 billion 
to $2.5 billion the maximum amount of commercial paper that 
the Company can issue under the program. Commercial paper 
notes are sold at a discount and have a maturity of not more 
than 90 days from the date of issuance. Borrowings under the 
program are available for general corporate purposes, including 
financing acquisitions. 

During  2007,  the  Company  utilized  its  commercial  paper 
program,  in  part,  to  fund  the  acquisitions  of  ChemTreat  and 
Tektronix. Operating cash flow and proceeds from the November 
2007 underwritten common stock offering (refer to Note 15), in 
the case of Tektronix, were also utilized to fund the acquisitions. 
In December 2007, the proceeds from the offering of the 2018 
Notes  (described  below)  were  used  to  reduce  outstanding 
borrowings  under  the  commercial  paper  program.  As  of 
December 31, 2007, U.S. dollar commercial paper borrowings 
had a weighted average interest rate of 4.6% and an average 
maturity of 12 days and Euro-denominated commercial paper 
borrowings had a weighted average interest rate of 5.1% and 
an average maturity of 32 days.

Credit  support  for  part  of  the  commercial  paper  program  is 
provided by an unsecured $1.5 billion multicurrency revolving 
credit facility (the “Credit Facility”) which expires on April 25, 
2012. The Credit Facility can also be used for working capital and 
other general corporate purposes. Interest is based on, at the 
Company’s option, (1) a LIBOR-based formula that is dependent 
in part on the Company’s credit rating, or (2) a formula based on 
Bank of America’s prime rate or on the Federal funds rate plus 
50 basis points, or (3) the rate of interest bid by a particular 
lender for a particular loan under the facility. The Credit Facility 
requires the Company to maintain a consolidated leverage ratio 
of 0.65 to 1.00 or less.

facility (the “Bridge Facility”) which expires on November 11, 
2008. The Bridge Facility also provides credit support for the 
commercial paper program and can also be used for working 
capital and other general corporate purposes. Interest is based 
on, at the Company’s option, either (1) a LIBOR-based formula 
that is dependent in part on the Company’s credit rating, or (2) a 
formula based on the prime rate as published in the Wall Street 
Journal or on the Federal funds rate plus 50 basis points. The 
Bridge Facility requires the Company to maintain a consolidated 
leverage  ratio  of  0.65  to  1.00  or  less,  and  is  required  to  be 
prepaid with the net cash proceeds of certain equity or debt 
issuances by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

Together  with  the  Company’s  pre-existing  $1.5  billion  credit 
facility, the Bridge Facility temporarily increased the Company’s 
aggregate  credit  facilities  to  $3.4  billion.  In  December  2007, 
the amount of the Bridge Facility was reduced by $0.9 billion 
leaving  the  amount  of  the  Bridge  Facility  at  $1.0  billion  and 
the aggregate amount of the Company’s credit facilities at $2.5 
billion, in each case as of December 31, 2007. There were no 
borrowings under either the Credit Facility or the Bridge Facility 
during 2007.

The Company has classified $1.5 billion of the borrowings under 
the commercial paper program as long-term borrowings in the 
accompanying  Consolidated  Balance  Sheet  as  the  Company 
has the intent and the ability, as supported by the availability 
of the Credit Facility, to refinance these borrowings for at least 
one year from the balance sheet date.

In  December  2007,  the  Company  completed  an  underwritten 
public offering of $500 million aggregate principal amount of 
5.625% senior notes due 2018 (“2018 Senior Notes”). The net 
proceeds, after expenses and the underwriters’ discount, were 
approximately $493 million, which were used to repay a portion 
of  the  commercial  paper  issued  to  finance  the  acquisition  of 
Tektronix. The Company may redeem the notes at any time prior 
to their maturity at a redemption price equal to the greater of 
the principal amount of the notes to be redeemed, or the sum 
of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of 
principal and interest plus 25 basis points. As of December 31, 
2007,  the  fair  value  of  the  2018  Senior  Notes  approximated 
their carrying value. 

In addition to the Credit Facility, in connection with the financing 
of  the  Tektronix  acquisition  in  November  2007,  the  Company 
entered  into  a  $1.9  billion  unsecured  revolving  bridge  loan 

On  July  21,  2006,  a  financing  subsidiary  of  the  Company 
issued  the  Eurobond  Notes  in  a  private  placement  outside 

76

the U.S. Payment obligations under these Eurobond Notes are 
guaranteed by the Company. The net proceeds of the offering, 
after  the  deduction  of  underwriting  commissions  but  prior 
to  the  deduction  of  other  issuance  costs,  were  €496  million 
($627  million)  and  were  used  to  pay  down  a  portion  of  the 
Company’s  outstanding  commercial  paper  and  for  general 
corporate purposes. The Company may redeem the notes upon 
the  occurrence  of  specified,  adverse  changes  in  tax  laws  or 
interpretations under such laws, at a redemption price equal 
to  the  principal  amount  of  the  notes  to  be  redeemed.  As  of 
December 31, 2007, the fair value of the Eurobond Notes was 
approximately $700 million.

In 2001, the Company issued $830 million (value at maturity) in 
LYONs. The net proceeds to the Company were $505 million, 
of  which  approximately  $100  million  was  used  to  pay  down 
debt and the balance was used for general corporate purposes, 
including acquisitions. The LYONs carry a yield to maturity of 
2.375% (with contingent interest payable as described below). 
Holders  of  the  LYONs  may  convert  each  of  their  LYONs  into 
14.5352  shares  of  Danaher  common  stock  (in  the  aggregate 
for  all  LYONs,  approximately  12.0  million  shares  of  Danaher 
common stock) at any time on or before the maturity date of 
January  22,  2021.  As  of  December  31,  2007,  the  accreted 
value  of  the  outstanding  LYONs  was  lower  than  the  traded 
market  value  of  the  underlying  common  stock  issuable  upon 
conversion. The Company may redeem all or a portion of the 
LYONs  for  cash  at  any  time  at  scheduled  redemption  prices. 
Holders may require the Company to purchase all or a portion 
of  the  notes  for  cash  and/or  Company  common  stock,  at  the 
Company’s  option,  on  January  22,  2011.  The  holders  had 
a  similar  option  to  require  the  Company  to  purchase  all  or  a 
portion of the notes as of January 22, 2004, which resulted in 
notes with an accreted value of $1.1 million being redeemed by 
the Company for cash. As of December 31, 2007, the fair value 
of the LYONs was approximately $1.1 billion.

Under the terms of the LYONs, the Company will pay contingent 
interest to the holders of LYONs during any six month period 
from January 23 to July 22 and from July 23 to January 22 if the 
average market price of a LYON for a specified measurement 
period equals 120% or more of the sum of the issue price and 
accrued original issue discount for such LYON. The amount of 
contingent  interest  to  be  paid  with  respect  to  any  quarterly 
period is equal to the higher of either 0.0315% percent of the 
bonds’ average market price during the specified measurement 

period  or  the  amount  of  the  common  stock  dividend  paid 
during  such  quarterly  period  multiplied  by  the  number  of 
shares issuable upon conversion of a LYON. The Company paid 
approximately $1.2 million of contingent interest on the LYONs 
for the year ended December 31, 2007. 

The  $250  million  of  6.1%  notes  due  2008  mature  October  15, 
2008. The fair value of the 2008 notes, after taking into account 
the interest rate swaps discussed below, is approximately $255 
million  at  December  31,  2007.  In  January  2002,  the  Company 
entered into two interest rate swap agreements for the term of 
the notes having an aggregate notional principal amount of $100 
million whereby the effective net interest rate on $100 million 
of  the  Notes  is  the  six-month  LIBOR  rate  plus  approximately 
0.425%. Rates are reset twice per year. At December 31, 2007, 
the net interest rate on $100 million of the notes was 4.43% after 
giving effect to the interest rate swap agreement. In accordance 
with SFAS No. 133 (“Accounting for Derivative Instruments and 
Hedging  Activities”,  as  amended),  the  Company  accounts  for 
these swap agreements as fair value hedges. These instruments 
qualify as “effective” or “perfect” hedges.

The  Company  does  not  have  any  rating  downgrade  triggers 
that  would  accelerate  the  maturity  of  a  material  amount 
of  outstanding  debt,  except  as  follows.  Under  each  of 
the  Eurobond  Notes  and  the  2018  Notes,  if  the  Company 
experiences a change of control and a rating downgrade of a 
specified nature within a specified period following the change 
of control, the Company will be required to offer to repurchase 
the notes at a price equal to 101% of the principal amount plus 
accrued  interest  in  the  case  of  2018  Notes,  or  the  principal 
amount plus accrued interest in the case of Eurobond Notes. 
A  downgrade  in  the  Company’s  credit  rating  would  increase 
the cost of borrowings under the Company’s commercial paper 
program  and  credit  facilities,  and  could  limit,  or  in  the  case 
of a significant downgrade, preclude the Company’s ability to 
issue commercial paper. The Company’s outstanding indentures 
and  comparable  instruments  contain  customary  covenants 
including for example limits on the incurrence of secured debt 
and sale/leaseback transactions. None of these covenants are 
considered restrictive to the  Company’s operations  and  as of 
December 31, 2007, the Company was in compliance with all 
of its debt covenants. 

The  minimum  principal  payments  during  the  next  five  years 
are as follows: 2008 – $331 million; 2009 – $4 million; 2010 –  

77

$5 million; 2011 – $5 million, 2012 – $1,504 million and $1,877 
million thereafter.

The  Company  made  interest  payments  of  $95  million,  $48 
million and, $43 million in 2007, 2006 and 2005, respectively. 

(9)  Pension Benefit Plans: 

On December 31, 2006, the Company adopted the recognition and 
disclosure  provisions  of  SFAS  No.  158,  Employers’  Accounting 
for Defined Benefit Pension and Other Postretirement Plans—an 
amendment  of  FASB  Statements  No.  87,  88,  106  and  132(R). 
SFAS  No.  158  requires  the  Company  to  recognize  the  funded 
status (i.e., the difference between the fair value of plan assets 
and the projected benefit obligations) of its pension and other 
postretirement  plans  in  the  December  31,  2006  consolidated 
balance sheet, with a corresponding adjustment to accumulated 
other  comprehensive  income,  net  of  tax.  The  adjustment  to 
accumulated other comprehensive income at adoption represents 
the net unrecognized actuarial losses, unrecognized prior service 
costs,  and  unrecognized  transition  obligation  remaining  from 
the initial adoption of SFAS No. 87, all of which were previously 
netted  against  the  plan’s  funded  status  in  the  Company’s 
consolidated balance sheet pursuant to the provisions of SFAS 
No.  87.  These  amounts  will  be  subsequently  recognized  as 

net periodic pension cost pursuant to the Company’s historical 
accounting policy for amortizing such amounts. Further, actuarial 
gains and losses that arise in subsequent periods and are not 
recognized as net periodic pension cost in the same periods will 
be recognized as a component of other comprehensive income. 
Those amounts will be subsequently recognized as a component 
of net periodic pension cost on the same basis as the amounts 
recognized  in  accumulated  other  comprehensive  income  at 
adoption of SFAS No. 158.

The  incremental  effects  of  adopting  the  provisions  of  SFAS 
No.  158  on  the  Company’s  consolidated  balance  sheet  at 
December 31, 2006 are presented in the following table for 
pension  benefit  plans  (see  Note  10  regarding  Other  Post-
Retirement Employee Benefit Plans). The adoption of SFAS No. 
158 had no effect on the Company’s consolidated statement 
of earnings for the year ended December 31, 2006, or for any 
prior period presented, and it will not affect the Company’s 
operating  results  in  future  periods.  Had  the  Company  not 
been required to adopt SFAS No. 158 at December 31, 2006, 
it  would  have  recognized  an  additional  minimum  pension 
liability pursuant to the provisions of SFAS No. 87. The effect 
of  recognizing  the  additional  minimum  liability  is  included 
in the table below in the column labeled “Prior to Adopting 
SFAS No. 158.”

                                                                                                       As of December 31, 2006

($ in millions)

US Pension Benefits

Pension liability

Accumulated other comprehensive loss, after income tax effect 

Non-US Pension Benefits

Pension liability

Accumulated other comprehensive loss, after income tax effect

Total Pension Benefits

Pension liability

Accumulated other comprehensive loss, after income tax effect

Prior to Adopting 
SFAS 158

Effect of Adopting 
SFAS 158

As Reported

$   (114.3)

98.9

$   (222.9)

15.9

$   (337.2)

114.8

$        --

$   (114.3)

--

98.9

$   13.0   

(9.1)

$   13.0

 (9.1)

$   (209.9)

6.8

$   (324.2)

105.7

78

Included  in  accumulated  other  comprehensive  income  at 
December 31, 2007 are the following amounts that have not 
yet been recognized in net periodic pension cost: unrecognized 
prior service credits of $3.6 million ($2.3 million, net of tax) and 
unrecognized  actuarial  losses  of  $92.5  million  ($60.3  million, 
net  of  tax).  The  unrecognized  losses  and  prior  service  costs, 
net,  is  calculated  as  the  difference  between  the  actuarially 
determined  projected  benefit  obligation  and  the  value  of  the 
plan  assets  less  accrued  pension  costs  as  of  September  30, 
2007.  The  prior  service  credits  and  actuarial  loss  included 
in  accumulated  comprehensive  income  and  expected  to  be 
recognized in net periodic pension costs during the year ending 
December 31, 2008 is $0.3 million ($0.2 million, net of tax) and 
$6.5  million  ($4.4  million,  net  of  tax),  respectively.  No  plan 
assets are expected to be returned to the Company during the 
year ending December 31, 2008. 

The  Company  has  noncontributory  defined  benefit  pension 
plans which cover certain of its domestic employees. Benefit 
accruals  under  most  of  these  plans  have  ceased.  It  is  the 
Company’s policy to fund, at a minimum, amounts required by 
the  Internal  Revenue  Service.  The  Company  acquired  Sybron 
Dental in May 2006, including its pension plans. The Company 
acquired  Tektronix  in  November  2007,  including  its  pension 
plans. The following sets forth the funded status of the U.S. 
and non-U.S. plans as of the most recent actuarial valuations 
using a measurement date of September 30 for the plans not 
acquired  in  the  Tektronix  acquisition.  Tektronix  was  acquired 
subsequent to September 30, therefore, the measurement date 
for the Tektronix pension plans was the date of acquisition ($ 
in millions): 

79

              U.S. Pension Benefits

               Non-U.S. Pension Benefits

2007

2006

2007

2006

Change in pension benefit obligation

Benefit obligation at beginning of year

$   695.6   

$    629.8

$    532.3   

$    447.0

Service cost

Interest cost

Employee contributions

Amendments and other

Benefits paid and other

Acquisition

Actuarial loss (gain)

Foreign exchange rate impact

Benefit obligation at end of year

Change in plan assets

Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year

Actual return on plan assets

Employer contributions

Employee contributions

Plan settlements

Benefits paid and other

Acquisition 

80

Foreign exchange rate impact

Fair value of plan assets at end of year

Funded status

Accrued contribution

Accrued benefit cost

3.0

44.7

--

--

(47.4)

563.7

17.2

--

1,276.8

581.3

78.5

0.7

--

--

(47.4)

587.4

--

1,200.5

(76.3)

--

4.7

36.9

--

--

(43.5)

59.5

8.2

--

695.6

509.7

44.4

11.3

--

--

(43.5)

59.4

--

581.3

(114.3)

--

14.0

24.4

2.5

(0.8)

(30.8)

114.9

(36.6)

39.7

659.6

315.1

20.6

23.9

2.5

--

(30.8)

61.4

18.8

411.5

(248.1)

9.7

10.9

19.4

2.1

(8.9)

(26.1)

51.2

(13.9)

50.6

532.3

235.6

18.4

21.3

2.2

(4.0)

(26.1)

39.9

27.8

315.1

(217.2)

7.4

$   (76.3) 

$  (114.3)

$  (238.4)  

$  (209.8)

The combined underfunded status of the U.S. and Non-U.S. pension plans of $315 million at December 31, 2007 is recognized in 
the accompanying consolidated balance sheet as accrued compensation and benefits included in other non-current liabilities. Refer 
to Note 7.

Weighted average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations measured at September 30:

Discount rate

Rate of compensation increase

               U. S. Plans

                    Non-U.S. Plans

2007

6.00%

4.00%

2006

5.75%

4.00%

2007

5.15%

3.20%

2006

4.35%

2.95%

         U. S. Pension Benefits

Non-U.S. Pension Benefits

2007

2006

2007

2006

Components of net periodic pension cost ($ in millions)

Service cost

Interest cost

Expected return on plan assets

Amortization of prior service credit

Amortization of net (gain) loss

Curtailment and settlement (gains) / losses recognized

$   3.0     

44.7

(48.6)

--

14.0

--

$     4.7

$   14.0   

$    10.9

36.9

(41.5)

--

16.9

--

24.4

(18.6)

(0.2)

1.4

0.1

19.4

(12.9)

(0.2)

1.7

(2.8)

Net periodic pension cost

$ 13.1    

$   17.0

$   21.1    

$    16.1

Weighted average assumptions used to determine net periodic pension cost measured at September 30: 

Discount rate

Expected long-term return on plan assets

Rate of compensation increase

Selection of Expected Rate of Return on Assets

                        U. S. Plans 

                 Non-U.S. Plans

2007

5.75%

8.00%

4.00%

2006

5.50%

8.00%

4.00%

2007

4.35%

5.55%

2.95%

2006

4.00%

5.00%

2.95%

For the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006, and 2005, the Company used an expected long-term rate of return assumption of 
8.0% for the Company’s U.S. defined benefit pension plan. The Company intends on using an expected long-term rate of return 
assumption  of  8.0%  for  2008  for  its  U.S.  plan.  The  expected  long-term  rate  of  return  assumption  for  the  non-U.S.  plans  was 
determined on a plan-by-plan basis based on the composition of assets and ranged from 0.75% to 7.5% in 2007. 

81

Investment Policy

The U.S. plan’s goal is to maintain between 60% and 70% of its assets in equity portfolios, which are invested in funds that are 
expected to mirror broad market returns for equity securities. Asset holdings are periodically rebalanced when equity holdings are 
outside this range. The balance of the asset portfolio is invested in corporate bonds and bond index funds. Non-U.S. plan assets are 
invested in various insurance contracts, equity and debt securities as determined by the administrator of each plan. 

Asset Information

(% of assets by asset categories at measurement date – September 30 for each year)

Equity securities

Debt securities

Cash & Other

Total

            U. S. Pension Benefits

Non-U.S. Pension Benefits

2007

66%

34%

--

100%

2006

64%

36%

--

100%

2007

41%

42%

17%

100%

2006

31%

36%

33%

100%

Other Matters

Substantially  all  employees  not  covered  by  defined  benefit 
plans are covered by defined contribution plans, which generally 
provide funding based on a percentage of compensation. 

Pension expense for all plans amounted to $105 million, $88 
million  and,  $66  million  for  the  years  ended  December  31, 
2007, 2006 and 2005, respectively. 

(10) Other Post Retirement Employee Benefit Plans:

In addition to providing pension benefits, the Company provides 
certain health care and life insurance benefits for some of its 
retired  employees  in  the  United  States.  Certain  employees 
may become eligible for these benefits as they reach normal 
retirement age while working for the Company. The following 
sets  forth  the  funded  status  of  the  domestic  plans  as  of  the 
most recent actuarial valuations using a measurement date of 
September 30 ($ in millions): 

In  connection  with  the  acquisition  of  Tektronix  in  November 
2007,  the  Company  acquired  approximately  $589  million  of 
assets associated with Tektronix’ existing U.S. pension plans 
and  merged  those  assets  with  the  assets  included  in  the 
Company’s U.S. pension plan. Included in the plan assets of the 
Tektronix plan are investments in real estate, absolute return 
funds and private equity with a value of $43 million as of the 
date  of  acquisition  –  November  17,  2007,  whose  fair  values 
have been estimated by management based upon information 
supplied to the Company by the fund managers or the general 
partners, in the absence of readily determinable market values 
that are available on publicly traded securities. The value of the 
plan assets directly affects the funded status of the Company’s 
U.S. pension plan recorded in the financial statements.

Expected Contributions 

The Company was not statutorily required to make contributions 
to the U.S. plan for 2006 or 2007. The Company contributed $26 
million to the non-U.S. plans during 2007. The Company is not 
required to and has no plans to make contributions to the U.S. 
plan in 2008. The Company expects to contribute approximately 
$29  million  in  employer  contributions  and  unfunded  benefit 
payments to the non-U.S. plans in 2008.

The following table sets forth benefit payments, which reflect 
expected future service, as appropriate, expected to be paid by 
the plans in the periods indicated.

82

Change in benefit obligation

Benefit obligation at beginning 

of year

Service cost

Interest cost

($ in millions)

U.S. Pension 
Plans

Non-U.S. 
Pension Plans

All Pension 
Plans

Amendments and other

Actuarial loss (gain)

$  82.0

$  29.2

$  111.2

Acquisition 

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

  84.8

  85.4

  86.8

89.0

  31.0

  32.2

  33.1

35.2

2013–2017

  467.5

  180.6

  115.8

  117.6

  119.9

124.2

 648.1

Retiree contributions

Benefits paid

Benefit obligation at end of year

Change in plan assets

Fair value of plan assets at 
beginning and end of year

Funded status

Accrued contribution

Accrued benefit cost

           Post Retirement  
           Medical Benefits

2007

2006

$     112.3    

$    105.5

1.2

6.5

(0.3)

1.1

20.8

1.9

(12.3)

131.2

0.9

5.8

(3.3)

(7.0)

19.2

2.5

(11.3)

112.3

--

--

(131.2)

(112.3)

2.9

2.3

$   (128.3)  

$  (110.0)

 
At December 31, 2007, $115 million of the total underfunded 
status of the plan was recognized as long-term accrued post 
retirement liability since it is not expected to be funded within 
one year. 

Effect of a one-percentage-point change  
in assumed health care cost trend rates  
($ in millions):  

Weighted average assumptions used to determine 
benefit obligations measured at September 30:

Discount rate

Medical trend rate – initial

Medical trend rate –  
grading period

Medical trend rate – ultimate

2007

6.00%

9.00%

5 years

5.00%

2006

5.75%

9.00%

5 years

5.00%

The medical trend rate used to determine the post retirement 
benefit  obligation  was  9%  for  2007.  The  rate  decreases 
gradually  to  an  ultimate  rate  of  5%  in  2011,  and  remains 
at that level thereafter. The trend is a significant factor in 
determining the amounts reported. 

The  following  table  sets  forth,  in  million  of  dollars,  benefit 
payments, which reflect expected future service, as appropriate, 
expected to be paid in the periods indicated.

($ in millions)

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013-2017

Amount

              $  13.1

13.3

13.3

13.3

12.8

57.8

Effect on the total of service 

and interest  
cost components

Effect on post retirement 

medical benefit obligation

1% Point 
Increase

1% Point 
Decrease

$ 0.7

$ (0.6)

9.4

 ( 8.2)

                                                                Post Retirement  
                                                                Medical Benefits

($ in millions)

2007

2006

Components of net periodic 

benefit cost

Service cost

Interest cost

Amortization of loss

Amortization of prior service credit

Net periodic benefit cost

$   1.2 

$  0.9

6.5

3.6

(7.2)

$   4.1 

5.8

4.1

(7.2)

$  3.6

The incremental effects of adopting the provisions of SFAS No. 
158 on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet at December 
31, 2006 are presented in the following table for other post-
retirement employee benefit plans:

83

                                     As of December 31, 2006

($ in millions)

Other Post 

Retirement 
Benefits liability

Accumulated other 
comprehensive 
loss (income), after 
income tax effect

Prior to 
Adopting 
SFAS 158

Effect of 
Adopting 
SFAS 158

As 
Reported

$   (120.0)

$    10.0

$   (110.0)

--

(6.5)

(6.5)

 
Included  in  accumulated  other  comprehensive  income  at 
December 31, 2007 are the following amounts that have not yet 
been recognized in net periodic pension cost: unrecognized prior 
service credits of $38.2 million ($24.9 million, net of tax) and 
unrecognized  actuarial  losses  of  $32.5  million  ($21.2  million, 
net  of  tax).  The  unrecognized  losses  and  prior  service  costs, 
net,  is  calculated  as  the  difference  between  the  actuarially 
determined  projected  benefit  obligation  and  the  value  of  the 
plan  assets  less  accrued  pension  costs  as  of  September  30, 
2007.  The  prior  service  credits  and  actuarial  loss  included 
in  accumulated  comprehensive  income  and  expected  to  be 
recognized in net periodic pension costs during the year ending 
December 31, 2008 is $7.2 million ($4.9 million, net of tax) and 
$3.2 million ($2.2 million, net of tax), respectively. 

(11)  Leases And Commitments: 

The Company’s leases extend for varying periods of time up to 
10 years and, in some cases, contain renewal options. Future 
minimum rental payments for all operating leases having initial 
or remaining non-cancelable lease terms in excess of one year 
are  $100  million  in  2008,  $91  million  in  2009,  $53  million  in 
2010, $35 million in 2011, $30 million in 2012 and $59 million 
thereafter. Total rent expense charged to income for all operating 
leases was $103 million, $84 million and, $68 million, for the 
years ended December 31, 2007, 2006, and 2005, respectively. 

The  Company  generally  accrues  estimated  warranty  costs 
at  the  time  of  sale.  In  general,  manufactured  products  are 
warranted against defects in material and workmanship when 
properly  used  for  their  intended  purpose,  installed  correctly, 
and appropriately maintained. Warranty period terms depend 
on  the  nature  of  the  product  and  range  from  90  days  up  to 
the  life  of  the  product.  The  amount  of  the  accrued  warranty 
liability  is  determined  based  on  historical  information  such 
as  past  experience,  product  failure  rates  or  number  of  units 
repaired, estimated cost of material and labor, and in certain 
instances estimated property damage. The liability, shown in 
the following table, is reviewed on a quarterly basis and may 
be  adjusted  as  additional  information  regarding  expected 
warranty costs becomes known.

In  certain  cases  the  Company  will  sell  extended  warranty 
or  maintenance  agreements.  The  proceeds  from  these 
agreements  is  deferred  and  recognized  as  revenue  over  the 
term of the agreement.

The  following  is  a  rollforward  of  the  Company’s  warranty 
accrual  for  the  years  ended  December  31,  2007  and  2006  ($ 
in thousands):

December 31, 2005

Accruals for warranties issued during period 

Settlements made

Additions due to acquisitions

Balance December 31, 2006

Accruals for warranties issued during period 

Changes in estimates related to  

pre-existing warranties

Settlements made

Additions due to acquisitions

Balance December 31, 2007

$   92,304

93,692

(93,985)

5,367

97,378

98,808

1,709

(104,974)

17,779

 $ 110,700

(12)   Litigation And Contingencies: 

Accu-Sort, Inc., a subsidiary of the Company, was a defendant 
in  a  suit  filed  by  Federal  Express  Corporation  on  May  16, 
2001.  On  March  9,  2006  Accu-Sort  settled  the  case  with 
Federal  Express  for  an  amount  which  the  Company  believes 
is  not  material  to  its  financial  position,  which  amount  was 
reflected in the Company’s results of operations in 2005. The 
purchase agreement pursuant to which the Company acquired 
Accu-Sort  in  2003  provides  certain  indemnification  for  the 
Company with respect to this matter, and an arbitrator ordered 
the former owners of Accu-Sort to pay the Company a portion 
of the losses incurred by the Company in connection with this 
litigation. In April 2007, the Company received this payment 
from  the  former  owners  and  recorded  a  pre-tax  gain  of  $12 
million ($7.8 million after-tax, or $0.02 per diluted share) which 
is included in “Other (income) expense” in the accompanying 
Consolidated  Statement  of  Earnings  for  the  year  ended 
December 31, 2007.  

The  Company  is,  from  time  to  time,  subject  to  a  variety  of 
litigation incidental to its business. These lawsuits primarily 
involve  claims  for  damages  arising  out  of  the  use  of  the 
Company’s  products,  claims  relating  to  intellectual  property 
matters  and  claims 
involving  employment  matters  and 
commercial disputes. The Company may also become subject 
to lawsuits as a result of past or future acquisitions or as a 
result  of  the  liabilities  retained  from,  or  representations, 
warranties or indemnities provided in connection with, divested 

84

businesses. Some of these lawsuits include claims for punitive 
and consequential as well as compensatory damages. While 
the  Company  maintains  workers  compensation,  property, 
cargo, automobile, aviation, crime, fiduciary, product, general 
liability,  and  directors’  and  officers’  liability  insurance  (and 
have acquired rights under similar policies in connection with 
certain acquisitions) that it believes cover a portion of these 
claims,  this  insurance  may  be  insufficient  or  unavailable  to 
cover  such  losses.  In  addition,  while  the  Company  believes 
it  is  entitled  to  indemnification  from  third  parties  for  some 
of  these  claims,  these  rights  may  also  be  insufficient  or 
unavailable to cover such losses. Based upon the Company’s 
experience, current information and applicable laws, it does 
not believe that proceedings and claims will have a material 
adverse effect on its financial position, cash flows or results 
of operations.

The  Company  maintains  third  party  insurance  policies  up  to 
certain limits to cover liability costs in excess of predetermined 
retained amounts. The Company carries significant deductibles 
and self-insured retentions under most of its lines of insurance, 
and Company management believes that it maintains adequate 
accruals  to  cover  the  retained  liability.  Company  management 
determines the accrual for self-insurance liability based on claims 
filed and an estimate of claims incurred but not yet reported. 

In  addition,  certain  of  the  Company’s  operations  are  subject 
to  environmental  laws  and  regulations  in  the  jurisdictions  in 
which they operate, which impose limitations on the discharge 
of  pollutants  into  the  ground,  air  and  water  and  establish 
standards  for  the  generation,  treatment,  use,  storage  and 
disposal  of  solid  and  hazardous  wastes.  The  Company  must 
also comply with various health and safety regulations in both 
the United States and abroad in connection with its operations. 
Compliance  with  these  laws  and  regulations  has  not  had 
and,  based  on  current  information  and  the  applicable  laws 
and regulations currently in effect, is not expected to have a 
material adverse effect on the Company’s capital expenditures, 
earnings  or  competitive  position  and  the  Company  does  not 
anticipate  material  capital  expenditures  for  environmental 
control facilities. 

In  addition  to  environmental  compliance  costs,  the  Company 
from  time  to  time  incurs  costs  related  to  alleged  damages 
associated  with  past  or  current  waste  disposal  practices  or 
other  hazardous  materials  handling  practices.    For  example, 

generators of hazardous substances found in disposal sites at 
which environmental problems are alleged to exist, as well as 
the owners of those sites and certain other classes of persons, 
are subject to claims brought by state and federal regulatory 
agencies  pursuant  to  statutory  authority.    The  Company  has 
received  notification  from  the  U.S.  Environmental  Protection 
Agency, and from state and non-U.S. environmental agencies, 
that conditions at a number of sites where the Company and 
others  disposed  of  hazardous  wastes  require  clean-up  and 
other  possible  remedial  action,  including  sites  where  the 
Company has been identified as a potentially responsible party 
under  federal  and  state  environmental  laws  and  regulations.  
The  Company  has  projects  underway  at  several  current  and 
former  manufacturing  facilities,  in  both  the  United  States 
and  abroad,  to  investigate  and  remediate  environmental 
contamination resulting from past operations.  The Company is 
also from time to time party to personal injury or other claims 
brought by private parties alleging injury due to the presence of 
or exposure to hazardous substances.

The  Company  has  made  a  provision  for  environmental 
remediation  and  environmental-related  personal 
injury 
claims with respect to sites owned or formerly owned by the 
Company and its subsidiaries.  The Company generally makes 
an  assessment  of  the  costs  involved  for  remediation  efforts 
based on environmental studies as well as its prior experience 
with similar sites.  If the Company determines that potential 
remediation  liability  for  properties  currently  or  previously 
owned  is  probable  and  reasonably  estimable,  it  accrues  the 
total estimated costs, including investigation and remediation 
costs, associated with the site.  The Company also estimates 
its  exposure  for  environmental-related  personal  injury  claims 
and accrues for this estimated liability as such claims become 
known.    While  the  Company  actively  pursues  insurance 
recoveries  as  well  as  recoveries  from  other  potentially 
responsible  parties,  it  does  not  recognize  any  insurance 
recoveries  for  environmental  liability  claims  until  realization 
is deemed probable and reasonably estimable.  The ultimate 
cost of site cleanup is difficult to predict given the uncertainties 
of  the  Company’s  involvement  in  certain  sites,  uncertainties 
regarding  the  extent  of  the  required  cleanup,  the  availability 
of alternative cleanup methods, variations in the interpretation 
of applicable laws and regulations, the possibility of insurance 
recoveries  with  respect  to  certain  sites  and  the  fact  that 
imposition of joint and several liability with right of contribution 
is possible under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 

85

Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 and other environmental laws and regulations.  As such, the Company cannot assure that 
its estimates of environmental liabilities will not change. 

In view of the Company’s financial position and reserves for environmental remediation matters and environmental-related 
personal injury claims based on current information and the applicable laws and regulations currently in effect, the Company 
believes that its liability related to past or current waste disposal practices and other hazardous materials handling practices 
will not have a material adverse effect on its results of operations, financial condition or cash flow.   

The Company’s Certificate of Incorporation requires it to indemnify to the full extent authorized or permitted by law any person 
made, or threatened to be made a party to any action or proceeding by reason of his or her service as a director or officer of the 
Company, or by reason of serving at the request  of  the  Company  as  a  director  or  officer  of  any  other  entity, subject to  limited 
exceptions. While the Company maintains insurance for this type of liability, a significant deductible applies to this coverage and 
any such liability could exceed the amount of the insurance coverage.

As of December 31, 2007, the Company had no known probable but inestimable exposures that are expected to have a material effect on 
the Company’s financial position and results of operations. 

(13)  Income Taxes:  

The provision for income taxes from continuing operations for the years ended December 31 consists of the following ($ in thousands): 

86

Current:

Federal U.S.

Other than U.S.

State and local

Deferred:

Federal U.S. 

Other than U.S.

State and Local

2007

2006

2005

$  263,078 

103,511

26,642

70,953

(44,876)

3,793

$  141,085

133,827

20,571

29,604

(12,982)

7,532

 $    92,409

124,160

12,654

87,561

9,903

5,446

Income tax provision

$  423,101  

$  319,637

$  332,133

Current deferred income tax assets are reflected in prepaid expenses and other current assets. Long-term deferred income tax 
liabilities  are  included  in  other  long-term  liabilities  in  the  accompanying  balance  sheets.  Deferred  income  taxes  consist  of  the 
following ($ in thousands): 

Bad debt allowance

Inventories

Property, plant and equipment

Pension and postretirement benefits

Insurance, including self – insurance

Basis difference in LYONs Notes

Goodwill and other intangibles

Environmental and regulatory compliance

Other accruals and prepayments

Deferred service income

Stock compensation expense

Tax credit and loss carryforwards

All other accounts 

Net deferred tax liability

2007

$       25,812    

80,040

(50,486)

87,921

(29,636)

(103,768)

(845,914)

32,310

194,879

(181,886)

50,093

221,244

283

2006

$      15,377

60,583

(37,595)

102,471

(60,126)

(82,870)

(613,491)

26,764

168,497

(156,644)

16,778

126,115

331

$   (519,108)  

$  (433,810)

Deferred taxes associated with temporary differences resulting from timing of recognition for income tax purposes of fees paid for 
services rendered between consolidated entities are reflected as deferred service income in the above table. These fees are fully 
eliminated in consolidation and have no effect on reported revenue, income or reported income tax expense.

87

The effective income tax rate for the years ended December 31 varies from the statutory federal income tax rate as follows:  

                                                                                                                                        Percentage of Pre-tax Earnings

Statutory federal income tax rate

Increase (decrease) in tax rate resulting from:

State income taxes (net of Federal income tax benefit)

Taxes on foreign earnings

German tax credit

Foreign tax credit valuation allowances

In-process research and development

Research and experimentation credits and other

Effective income tax rate

2007

35.0%

1.2

(10.6)

--

--

1.3

(1.1)

2006

35.0%

1.5

(8.9)

(1.4)

(2.4)

--

(1.4)

25.8%

22.4%

2005

35.0%

1.0

(8.3)

--

--

--

(0.4)

27.3%

The effective tax rate for 2007 of 25.8% reflects net discrete 
tax benefits of approximately $21 million, or $0.07 per diluted 
share. New tax legislation that was signed into law in several 
taxing jurisdictions during 2007, most notably in Germany and 
Denmark, reduced income tax rates for 2008 and future periods 
which  resulted  in  a  reduction  in  the  Company’s  deferred  tax 
liabilities and a like reduction in 2007 income tax expense as 
required  under  SFAS  No.  109,  Accounting  for  Income  Taxes. 
The  lower  statutory  rates  are  expected  to  be  offset  by  other 
statutory changes in these jurisdictions, such that the Company’s 
effective tax rate in future years will not be materially reduced 
as  a  result  of  the  legislation.  Partially  offsetting  the  benefit 
from the above tax rate reduction was the effect of establishing 
income  tax  reserves  during  the  year  related  to  uncertain  tax 
positions  in  various  taxing  jurisdiction,  net  of  the  reduction 
of tax reserves associated with Sweden as discussed below. 
The Company’s effective income tax rate for 2006 reflects net 
discrete tax benefits of $69 million, or $0.21 per diluted share 
associated with the reduction of valuation allowances related 
to  foreign  tax  credit  carryforwards  that  are  now  expected  to 
be realized, the favorable resolution of examinations of certain 
previously  filed  returns  which  resulted  in  the  reduction  of 
previously provided tax reserves and the impact of a change in 
German tax law which entitles the Company to cash payments 
in lieu of previously held unrecognized tax credits. 

The Company made income tax payments of $335 million, $204 
million and, $168 million in 2007, 2006, and 2005, respectively. 
The  Company  recognized  a  tax  benefit  of  $66  million,  $36 
million, and $15 million in 2007, 2006 and 2005, respectively, 
related to the exercise of employee stock options, which vested 
prior to the Company’s adoption of SFAS 123R and for which no 
expense was recognized. This benefit has been recorded as an 
increase to additional paid-in capital. 

Included  in  deferred  income  taxes  as  of  December  31,  2007 
are  tax  benefits  for  U.S.  and  non-U.S.  net  operating  loss 
carryforwards totaling $60 million (net of applicable valuation 
allowances  of  $149  million).  Certain  of  the  losses  can  be 
carried forward indefinitely and others can be carried forward 

to  various  dates  through  2027.  The  recognition  of  any  future 
benefit  resulting  from  the  reduction  of  valuation  allowances 
established  in  purchase  accounting  will  reduce  goodwill  of 
the acquired business. In addition, the Company had general 
business and foreign tax credit carryforwards of $96 million at 
December 31, 2007 and also has recorded a deferred tax asset 
for foreign credits of $65 million related to the indirect impact 
of certain unrecognized tax benefits (see below).

The Company adopted the provisions of FASB Interpretation 
No.  48,  Accounting  for  Uncertainty  in  Income  Taxes,  on 
January  1,  2007.  As  a  result  of  the  implementation  of 
Interpretation  No.  48,  the  Company  recognized  a  decrease 
in  the  liability  for  unrecognized  tax  benefits  of  $63  million, 
which  was  accounted  for  as  an  increase  to  the  January  1, 
2007 balance of retained earnings.  As of the date of adoption 
and  after  the  impact  of  recognizing  the  decrease  in  the 
liability noted above, the Company’s gross unrecognized tax 
benefits totaled $332 million ($254 million, net of offsetting 
indirect tax benefits and including $59 million associated with 
potential interest and penalties). As of December 31, 2007, 
gross  unrecognized  tax  benefits  totaled  $475  million  ($408 
million,  net  of  offsetting  indirect  tax  benefits  and  including 
$81 million associated with potential interest and penalties). 
The  net  amount  of  unrecognized  tax  benefits  at  December 
31,  2007  (including  accrued  interest  and  penalties)  that,  if 
reversed,  would  impact  the  effective  rate  is  $328  million. 
Unrecognized  tax  benefits  and  associated  accrued  interest 
and  penalties  are  included  in  “Taxes,  income  and  other”  in 
accrued expenses as detailed in Note 7.

The  Company  recognizes  potential  accrued  interest  and 
penalties associated with unrecognized tax positions within its 
global operations in income tax expense. During the year ended 
December  31,  2007,  the  Company  recognized  approximately 
$24 million in potential interest and penalties associated with 
uncertain tax positions. To the extent interest and penalties are 
not assessed with respect to uncertain tax positions, amounts 
accrued  will  be  reduced  and  reflected  as  a  reduction  of  the 
overall income tax provision.

88

A  reconciliation  of  the  beginning  and  ending  amount  of 
unrecognized  tax  benefits,  excluding  amounts  accrued  for 
potential interest and penalties, is as follows ($ in thousands):

of the Company’s prior year tax positions. Previously provided 

reserves  associated  with  these  positions  were  reduced  and 

included in “Reduction for tax positions of prior years” in the 

Balance January 1, 2007

$   331,701

table above.

Additions based on tax positions related  

to the current year

Additions for tax positions of prior years

Reductions for tax position of prior years

Acquisitions

Lapse of statute of limitations

Settlements

Effect of foreign currency translation

35,871

63,315

(37,075)

62,122

(673)

(2,043)

21,889

Balance December 31, 2007

$   475,107  

The  Company  and  its  subsidiaries  are  routinely  examined  by 
various taxing authorities. The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) 
has  initiated  an  examination  of  certain  of  the  Company’s 
federal income tax returns for the years 2004 and 2005. It is 
anticipated  that  the  examination  will  be  completed  within 
the  next  twelve  months.  To  date,  the  IRS  has  proposed,  and 
management has agreed to certain adjustments that will not 
have a material impact on the Company’s financial position or 
results of operations. In addition, the Company has subsidiaries 
in Germany, Canada, Denmark, United Kingdom, Sweden and 
various other states, provinces and countries that are currently 
under audit for years ranging from 1997 through 2005. While 
the  audits  in  Sweden  are  still  in  process,  during  the  fourth 
quarter 2007, favorable court rulings in other cases resulted in 
the Swedish tax authority withdrawing action regarding certain 

The  Company  files  numerous  consolidated  and  separate 

income tax returns in the United States Federal jurisdiction and 

in many state and foreign jurisdictions. With few exceptions, 

the  Company  is  no  longer  subject  to  US  Federal  income  tax 

examinations  for  years  before  2004  and  is  no  longer  subject 

to  state,  local  and  foreign  income  tax  examinations  by  tax 

authorities for years before 1997.

Management  estimates  that  it  is  reasonably  possible  that 

unrecognized tax benefits may be reduced up to $100 million 

within  twelve  months  as  a  result  of  resolution  of  worldwide 

tax matters.

The  Company  provides  income  taxes  for  unremitted  earnings 

of  foreign  subsidiaries  that  are  not  considered  permanently 

reinvested overseas. As of December 31, 2007, the approximate 

amount of earnings from foreign subsidiaries that the Company 

considers permanently reinvested and for which deferred taxes 

have not been provided was approximately $5.4 billion. United 

States income taxes have not been provided on earnings that 

are  planned  to  be  reinvested  indefinitely  outside  the  United 

States and the amount of such taxes that may be applicable 

is  not  readily  determinable  given  the  various  tax  planning 

alternatives  the  Company  could  employ  should  it  decide  to 

repatriate these earnings.

89

(14)  Earnings Per Share (EPS): 

Basic EPS is calculated by dividing earnings by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the applicable 
period. Diluted EPS is calculated after adjusting the numerator and the denominator of the basic EPS calculation for the effect 
of all potential dilutive common shares outstanding during the period. Information related to the calculation of earnings from 
continuing operations per share of common stock is summarized as follows (in thousands, except per share amounts): 

For the Year Ended December 31, 2007

Basic EPS

Net earnings from 
continuing operations 
(Numerator)

Shares 
(Denominator)

Per Share 
Amount

$ 1,213,998

311,225

$ 3.90

Adjustment for interest on convertible debentures

Incremental shares from assumed exercise of dilutive options and RSUs

Incremental shares from assumed conversion of the convertible debentures

10,033

--

--

--

6,245

11,989

Diluted EPS

$ 1,224,031

329,459

$ 3.72

For the Year Ended December 31, 2006

Basic EPS

Adjustment for interest on convertible debentures

Incremental shares from assumed exercise of dilutive options and RSUs

Incremental shares from assumed conversion of the convertible debentures

90

Diluted EPS

For the Year Ended December 31, 2005

Basic EPS

Adjustment for interest on convertible debentures

Incremental shares from assumed exercise of dilutive options and RSUs

Incremental shares from assumed conversion of the convertible debentures

Net earnings from 
continuing operations 
(Numerator)

Shares 
(Denominator)

Per Share 
Amount

$ 1,109,206

307,984

$ 3.60

9,343

--

--

--

5,229

12,038

$ 1,118,549

325,251

$ 3.44

Net earnings from 
continuing operations 
(Numerator)

Shares 
(Denominator)

Per Share 
Amount

$    885,609 

308,905

$ 2.87 

8,802

     --

--

--

7,040

12,038

Diluted EPS

$    894,411 

327,983

$ 2.72

(15)  Stock Transactions: 

On May 15, 2007, the Company’s shareholders voted to approve 
an  amendment  to  Danaher’s  Certificate  of  Incorporation  to 
increase  the  number  of  authorized  shares  of  common  stock 
of  Danaher  to  a  total  of  one  billion  shares,  $.01  par  value. 
Danaher’s Certificate of Incorporation was amended to reflect 
this change on May 16, 2007.

On  November  7,  2007,  the  Company  completed  the  public 
offering  of  6.9  million  shares  of  its  common  stock  at  a  price 
to  the  public  of  $82.25  per  share.  The  net  proceeds,  after 
expenses  and  the  underwriter’s  discount,  were  $550  million. 
The  proceeds  were  used,  in  part,  to  fund  the  acquisition  of 
Tektronix (refer to Note 2).

On April 21, 2005, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized 
the  repurchase  of  up  to  10  million  shares  of  the  Company’s 
common  stock  from  time  to  time  on  the  open  market  or  in 
privately  negotiated  transactions.  There  is  no  expiration 
date for the Company’s repurchase program. The timing and 
amount of any shares repurchased will be determined by the 
Company’s  management  based  on  its  evaluation  of  market 
conditions  and  other  factors.  The  repurchase  program  may 
be suspended or discontinued at any time. Any repurchased 
shares  will  be  available  for  use  in  connection  with  the 
Company’s  existing  stock  plans  or  successor  plans  and  for 
other corporate purposes. 

During  2007,  the  Company  repurchased  approximately  1.6 
million  shares  of  Company  common  stock  in  open  market 
transactions at an aggregate cost of $117 million. No shares 
were  repurchased  under  this  program  in  2006.  During  2005, 
the  Company  repurchased  approximately  5  million  shares  of 
Company  common  stock  in  open  market  transactions  at  an 
aggregate  cost  of  $258  million.  The  2007  repurchases  were 
funded  from  borrowings  under  the  Company’s  commercial 
paper program and from available cash. The 2005 repurchases 
were funded from available cash and from borrowings under 
uncommitted  lines  of  credit.  At  December  31,  2007,  the 
Company had approximately 3.4 million shares remaining for 
stock repurchases under the existing Board authorization. The 
Company  expects  to  fund  any  further  repurchases  using  the 
Company’s available cash balances, existing lines of credit or 
commercial paper borrowings.

Stock options and restricted stock units (RSUs) have been issued 
to directors, officers and other management employees under 
the Company’s Amended and Restated 1998 Stock Option Plan 
and the 2007 Stock Incentive Plan approved by the Company’s 
shareholders in May 2007, and RSUs have been issued to the 
Company’s CEO pursuant to an award approved by shareholders 
in 2003. No further equity awards will be issued under the 1998 
Stock Option Plan. The 2007 Stock Incentive Plan provides for the 
grant of stock options, stock appreciation rights, RSUs, restricted 
stock or any other stock based award. In connection with the 
Tektronix acquisition, the Company assumed the Tektronix 2005 
Stock  Incentive  Plan  and  the  Tektronix  2002  Stock  Incentive 
Plan and assumed certain outstanding stock options, restricted 
stock and RSUs that had been awarded to Tektronix employees 
under the plans. These plans operate in a similar manner to the 
Company’s 2007 Stock Incentive Plan. No further equity awards 
will be issued under the Tektronix 2005 Stock Incentive Plan and 
the Tektronix 2002 Stock Incentive Plan.

Stock options granted under the 2007 Stock Incentive Plan, the 
1998 Stock Option Plan, the Tektronix 2005 Stock Incentive Plan 
and the Tektronix 2002 Stock Incentive Plan generally vest over 
a five-year period and terminate ten years from the issuance 
date, though the specific terms of each grant are determined 
by  the  Compensation  Committee  of  the  Company’s  Board  of 
Directors  (Compensation  Committee).  Option  exercise  prices 
for options granted by the Company under these plans equal 
the closing price on the NYSE of the common stock on the date 
of  grant.    Option  exercise  prices  for  the  options  outstanding 
under the Tektronix 2005 Stock Incentive plan and the Tektronix 
2002 Stock Incentive Plan were based on the closing price of 
Tektronix  common  stock  on  the  date  of  grant;  in  connection 
with the Company’s assumption of these options, the number 
of  shares  underlying  each  option  and  exercise  price  of  each 
option  were  adjusted  to  reflect  the  substitution  of  Danaher 
stock  for  the  Tektronix  stock  underlying  these  awards.  RSUs 
granted under these plans provide for the issuance of a share 
of the Company’s common stock at no cost to the holder.  They 
are  generally  subject  to  performance  criteria  determined 
by  the  Compensation  Committee,  as  well  as  time-based 
vesting  such  that  50%  of  the  RSUs  granted  vest  (subject  to 
satisfaction of the performance criteria) on each of the fourth 
and fifth anniversaries of the grant date. Prior to vesting, RSUs 
do  not  have  dividend  equivalent  rights,  do  not  have  voting 
rights and the shares underlying the RSUs are not considered 
issued  and  outstanding.    Shares  are  issued  on  the  date  the 

91

RSUs vest.  Restricted shares issued under the Tektronix 2005 
Stock Incentive Plan are granted subject to certain time-based 
vesting restrictions such that the restricted share awards are 
fully vested after a period of five years. Recipients of restricted 
shares have the right to vote such shares and receive dividends, 
whereas recipients of RSUs have no voting rights and receive 
no dividend equivalents. The restricted shares are considered 
issued and outstanding at the date the award is granted.

The options, RSUs and restricted shares generally vest only if 
the employee is employed by the Company on the vesting date 
or  in  other  limited  circumstances,  and  unvested  options  and 
RSUs are forfeited upon retirement before age 65 unless the 
Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors determines 
otherwise. To cover the exercise of vested options and RSUs, 
the Company generally issues new shares from its authorized 
but unissued share pool. At December 31, 2007, approximately 
9.9  million  shares  of  the  Company’s  common  stock  were 
reserved for issuance under the 2007 Stock Incentive Plan.  

Effective  January  1,  2006,  the  Company  adopted  Statement 
of  Financial  Accounting  Standards  No.  123  (revised  2004), 
Share-Based  Payment  (SFAS  No.  123R),  which  requires  the 
Company to measure the cost of employee services received 
in  exchange  for  all  equity  awards  granted,  including  stock 
options and RSUs, based on the fair market value of the award 
as  of  the  grant  date.  SFAS  No.  123R  supersedes  Statement 
of  Financial  Accounting  Standards  No.  123,  Accounting  for 
Stock-Based  Compensation  and  Accounting  Principles  Board 
Opinion  No.  25,  Accounting  for  Stock  Issued  to  Employees 
(“APB 25”). The Company has adopted SFAS No. 123R using 
the modified prospective application method of adoption which 
requires the Company to record compensation cost related to 
unvested stock awards as of December 31, 2005 by recognizing 
the unamortized grant date fair value of these awards over the 
remaining service periods of those awards with no change in 
historical  reported  earnings.  Awards  granted  after  December 
31,  2005  are  valued  at  fair  value  in  accordance  with  the 
provisions of SFAS No. 123R and recognized as an expense on 
a  straight-line  basis  over  the  service  periods  of  each  award. 
The Company estimated forfeiture rates based on its historical 
experience.  Stock  based  compensation  of  $73  million  and 
$67 million for the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006, 
respectively, has been recognized as a component of selling, 
general  and  administrative  expenses  in  the  accompanying 
Consolidated  Financial  Statements  as  payroll  costs  of  the 

employees  receiving  the  rewards  are  recorded  in  selling, 
general and administrative expenses.

Prior  to  2006,  the  Company  accounted  for  stock-based 
compensation  in  accordance  with  APB  25  using  the  intrinsic 
value  method,  which  did  not  require  that  compensation  cost 
be  recognized  for  the  Company’s  stock  options  provided  the 
option exercise price was established at 100% of the common 
stock  fair  market  value  on  the  date  of  grant.  Under  APB  25, 
the Company was required to record expense over the vesting 
period for the value of RSUs granted. Compensation expense 
related to RSU awards is calculated based on the market prices 
of Company common stock on the date of the grant. Prior to 
2006, the Company provided pro forma disclosure amounts in 
accordance with SFAS No. 148, “Accounting for Stock-Based 
Compensation-Transition  and  Disclosure”  (SFAS  No.  148),  as 
if  the  fair  value  method  defined  by  SFAS  No.  123  had  been 
applied to its stock-based compensation.

The estimated fair value of the options granted during 2007 and 
prior years was calculated using a Black-Scholes Merton option 
pricing  model  (Black-Scholes).  The  following  summarizes  the 
assumptions  used  in  the  Black-Scholes  models  for  the  years 
ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005:

                                           Year Ended December 31

2007

2006

2005

Risk-free  

interest rate

3.68 – 4.77% 4.39 – 5.1%

4.3%

Weighted average 

volatility

22%

Dividend yield

0.1 – 0.2%

22%

0.1%

23%

0.1%

Expected years 
until exercise

7.5 – 9.5

7.5 – 9.5

7.0

The  Black-Scholes  model  incorporates  assumptions  to  value 
stock-based awards. The risk-free rate of interest for periods 
within  the  contractual  life  of  the  option  is  based  on  a  zero-
coupon  U.S.  government  instrument  over  the  expected  term 
of  the  equity  instrument.  Expected  volatility  is  based  on 
implied volatility from traded options on the Company’s stock 
and historical volatility of the Company’s stock. The Company 
generally  uses  the  midpoint  between  the  end  of  the  vesting 
period and the contractual life of the grant to estimate option 
exercise timing within the valuation model. This methodology 
is not materially different from the Company’s historical data 

92

on exercise timing. Separate groups of employees that have similar behavior with regard to holding options for longer periods and 
different forfeiture rates are considered separately for valuation and attribution purposes. 

As a result of adopting SFAS No. 123R in 2006, net earnings for the year ended December 31, 2007 and December 31, 2006 were 
$39 million (net of $15 million tax benefit) and $39 million (net of $16 million benefit), respectively lower than if the Company had 
continued to account for stock – based compensation under APB 25. The impact on basic and diluted earnings per share from 
continuing operations for the year ended December 31, 2007 was $0.13 and $0.11, respectively, per share. The impact on both basic 
and diluted earnings per share from continuing operations for the year ended December 31, 2006 was $0.12 per share. 

Pro forma net earnings as if the fair value based method had been applied to all awards are as follows:

Net earnings– as reported

Add: Stock-based compensation programs  

recorded as expense, net of tax

Deduct: Total stock-based employee  
compensation expense, net of tax

Pro forma net earnings

Earnings per share:

Basic – as reported

Basic – pro forma

Diluted – as reported

Diluted – pro forma

2007

2006

2005

$  1,369,904

$  1,122,029

$  897,800 

 51,546

(51,546)

46,854

(46,854)

$  1,369,904

$  1,122,029

$           4.40

$           4.40

$           4.19

$           4.19

$           3.64

$           3.64

$           3.48

$           3.48

4,876

(34,377)

$  868,299

$        2.91

$        2.81

$        2.76

$        2.67

The  following  table  summarizes  the  components  of  the  Company’s  stock-based  compensation  program  recorded  as  expense  
($ in thousands):

93

Restricted Stock Units:

Pre-tax compensation expense

Tax benefit

Restricted stock expense, net of tax

Stock Options:

Pre-tax compensation expense

Tax benefit

Stock option expense, net of tax

Total Share-Based Compensation:

Pre-tax compensation expense

Tax benefit

Total share-based compensation expense, net of tax

2007

2006

2005

$       18,708

(6,548)

$       12,160 

$       54,639 

(15,253)

$       39,386

$       73,347

(21,801)

$       51,546 

$       12,561

  $      7,502

(4,396)

(2,626)

$         8,165

$      4,876

$       54,630

$            --

(15,941)

--

$       38,689  

$            --

$       67,191  

(20,337)

$       46,854

$      7,502

(2,626)

$      4,876

 
As of December 31, 2007, $77 million and $186 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to restricted stock units and 
stock options, respectively, is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately 3 years for RSUs and 2.5 
years for stock options.

Option activity under the Company’s stock option plans as of December 31, 2007 and changes during the three years ended December 
31, 2007 were as follows (in 000’s; except exercise price and number of years):

Outstanding at January 1, 2005

Granted 

Exercised 

Cancelled 

Outstanding at December 31, 2005

Granted 

Exercised

Cancelled

Outstanding at December 31, 2006 

Granted 

Exercised 

Cancelled 

94

Outstanding at December 31, 2007

Vested and Expected to Vest at December 31, 2007

Exercisable at December 31, 2007

Shares

23,509

3,078

(1,601)

(1,594)

23,392

4,057

(2,676)

(814)

23,959

3,106

(4,126)

(711)

22,228

20,767

10,904

Weighted 
Average  
Share Price

Weighted Average 
Remaining 
Contractual Term 
(in Years)

Aggregate 
Intrinsic Value

$ 30.80

$ 56.66

$ 23.55

$ 39.00

$ 34.14

$ 62.60

$ 23.07

$ 50.20

$ 39.65

$ 74.04

$ 27.60

$ 52.85

$ 46.27

$ 45.70

$ 33.82

6

6

4

$  921,768

$  873,084

$  587,930

Options outstanding at December 31, 2007 are summarized below:  

Exercise Price

$ 13.59 to $ 20.72

$ 20.73 to $ 30.64

$ 30.65 to $ 41.74

$ 41.75 to $ 57.14

$ 57.15 to $ 72.84

$ 72.85 to $ 83.39

Outstanding

Exercisable

Shares 
(thousands)

Average  
Exercise Price

Average 
Remaining Life

Shares 
(thousands)

Average  
Exercise Price

34

5,658

5,041

4,857

4,043

2,595

$ 19.85

$ 24.94

$ 35.77

$ 52.32

$ 63.32

$ 75.63

0.4

3.0

5.0

7.0

8.0

10.0

34

5,620

3,100

1,692

430

28

$ 19.85

$ 24.91

$ 35.52

$ 52.37

$ 63.43

$ 75.34

The aggregate intrinsic value represents the total pre-tax intrinsic value (the difference between the Company’s closing stock price 
on the last trading day of 2007 and the exercise price, multiplied by the number of in-the-money options) that would have been 
received by the option holders had all option holders exercised their options on December 31, 2007. The amount of aggregate 
intrinsic value will change based on the fair market value of the Company’s stock. 

The aggregate intrinsic value of options exercised during the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005 was $201 million, 
$110 million and $35 million, respectively. Exercise of options during the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005 resulted in 
cash receipts of $113 million, $60 million and $38 million, respectively. The Company recognized a tax benefit of approximately $66 
million, $36 million, and $15 million in 2007, 2006 and 2005, respectively related to the exercise of employee stock options, which 
has been recorded as an increase to additional paid-in capital. 

The following table summarizes information on unvested restricted stock units outstanding as of December 31, 2007:

Unvested Restricted Stock Units

Unvested at January 1, 2005

Forfeited

Vested

Granted

Unvested at December 31, 2005

Forfeited

Vested

Granted

Unvested at December 31, 2006

Forfeited

Vested

Granted 

Unvested at December 31, 2007

 (16)  Segment Data: 

Number of Shares 
(in thousands)

Weighted-Average  
Grant-Date Fair Value

1,061

(100)

--

130

1,091

(30)

--

536

1,597

(48)

--

532

2,081

 $  48.74

52.60

63.14

49.94

56.70

62.13

  54.14

66.63

79.18

 $  59.96

95

The  Company  currently  operates  in  four  reporting  segments:  Professional  Instrumentation,  Medical  Technologies,  Industrial 
Technologies and Tools & Components. 

Operating  profit  represents  total  revenues  less  operating  expenses,  excluding  other  expense,  interest  and  income  taxes.  The 
identifiable assets by segment are those used in each segment’s operations. Inter-segment amounts are not significant and are 
eliminated to arrive at consolidated totals. 

Detailed segment data for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005 is presented in the following table (in thousands):  

Total Sales:

Professional Instrumentation

Medical Technologies

Industrial Technologies

Tools & Components 

Operating Profit:

Professional Instrumentation

Medical Technologies

Industrial Technologies

Tools & Components 

Other

Identifiable Assets:

Professional Instrumentation

Medical Technologies

Industrial Technologies

Tools & Components 

Other

2007

2006

2005

$    3,537,912  

$    2,906,464

$   2,600,575

2,997,986

3,153,377

1,336,642

2,219,976

2,988,820

1,350,796

1,181,534

2,794,935

1,294,454

$  11,025,917   

$    9,466,056

$   7,871,498

$       709,502    

$       625,577

$      538,322

393,230

532,477

175,634

(70,134)

261,604

467,737

194,063

(48,771)

138,672

409,306

199,289

(38,014)

$    1,740,709   

$    1,500,210

$   1,247,575

$    6,692,014  

$   2,691,045

$   2,589,022

6,160,557

3,536,156

801,117

282,091

5,534,139

3,623,745

824,408

190,814

2,408,575

3,158,891

785,833

220,788

$  17,471,935  

$  12,864,151

$   9,163,109

96

Liabilities:

Professional Instrumentation

$    1,286,739    

$       784,195

$      794,948

Medical Technologies

Industrial Technologies

Tools & Components 

Other

Depreciation and Amortization:

Professional Instrumentation

Medical Technologies

Industrial Technologies

Tools & Components 

Capital Expenditures, Gross

Professional Instrumentation

Medical Technologies

Industrial Technologies

Tools & Components 

Other 

1,489,739

828,963

214,784

4,566,022

1,482,332

832,452

238,740

2,881,772

855,227

897,254

240,907

1,294,423

$    8,386,247   

$    6,219,491

$   4,082,759

$         64,802     

$         48,830

$        47,816

119,673

63,206

20,811

84,284

61,163

21,420

44,229

60,441

22,756

$       268,492    

$       215,697

$      175,242

$         39,010     

$         34,478

$        32,337

47,618

48,024

20,908

6,511

31,609

44,706

25,618

--

16,143

47,847

23,406

--

$       162,071    

$       136,411

$      119,733

 
Operations in Geographical Areas 

Total Sales:

United States

Germany

United Kingdom

All other

Long-lived assets (excluding amounts held for sale – refer Note 3):

United States

Germany

United Kingdom

All other

Sales Originating outside the US:

Professional Instrumentation

Medical Technologies

Industrial Technologies

Tools & Components 

Sales by Major Product Group

2007

2006

2005

$   5,928,296  

$  5,108,477

$  4,494,627

1,294,624

517,495

3,285,502

1,460,199

362,648

2,534,732

1,160,637

329,791

1,886,443

$ 11,025,917  

$  9,466,056

$  7,871,498

$   7,521,603  

$  5,471,426

$  3,576,795

1,699,386

605,515

3,595,664

1,494,135

604,496

1,856,162

950,397

410,077

1,238,919

$ 13,422,168  

$  9,426,219

$  6,176,188

$   1,935,506  

$  1,542,370

$  1,367,254

1,884,520

1,579,805

221,914

1,465,328

1,464,208

182,997

864,190

1,338,112

181,224

$   5,621,745 

$  4,654,903

$  3,750,780

2007

2006

2005

97

Analytical and physical instrumentation

$   3,561,375  

$  2,917,806

 $  2,607,963

Medical & dental products

Motion and industrial automation controls

Mechanics and related hand tools

Product identification

Aerospace and defense

All other

Total

2,997,986

1,652,947

941,647

886,080

638,145

347,737

2,219,976

1,596,713

935,574

854,033

560,691

381,263

1,181,534

1,486,205

892,778

826,031

502,859

374,128

$ 11,025,917  

$  9,466,056

$  7,871,498

(17)  Quarterly Data-Unaudited (In Thousands, Except Per Share Data):

Net sales

Gross profit

Operating profit

Earnings from continuing operations

Net earnings

Earnings per share from continuing operations:

Basic

Diluted

Earnings per share:

Basic

Diluted

Net sales

Gross profit

Operating profit

98

Earnings from continuing operations

Net earnings

Earnings per share from continuing operations:

Basic

Diluted

Earnings per share:

Basic

Diluted

2007

1st Quarter

2nd Quarter

3rd Quarter

4th Quarter

$ 2,521,704 

$ 2,631,885 

$ 2,731,151 

$ 3,141,177 

1,139,903

1,201,251

1,249,211

1,450,530

370,117

251,616

254,804

442,888

307,656

311,154

462,934

334,501

483,721

464,770

320,225

320,225

$          0.80

$          0.77

$          1.00

$          0.95

$          1.08

$          1.03

$          1.02

$          0.97

$          0.81

$          0.78

$          1.01

$          0.96

$          1.56

$          1.48

$          1.02

$          0.97

2006

1st Quarter

2nd Quarter

3rd Quarter

4th Quarter

$ 2,113,709

$ 2,318,458

$ 2,408,495

$ 2,625,394

905,494

292,463

212,373

215,719

1,022,635

1,089,104

1,179,827

378,915

312,848

314,522

386,625

263,976

268,071

442,207

320,009

323,717

$          0.69

$          0.66

$          1.01

$          0.97

$          0.86

$          0.82

$          1.04

$          0.99

$          0.70

$          0.67

$          1.02

$          0.98

$          0.87

$          0.83

$          1.05

$          1.00

 
 
(18)  New Accounting Pronouncements: 

In  December  2007,  the  FASB  issued  SFAS  No.  141  (revised 
2007),  “Business  Combinations”  (SFAS  No.  141R)  and  SFAS 
No.  160,  “Noncontrolling  Interests  in  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements” (“SFAS No. 160”). SFAS 141R establishes principles 
and requirements for how an acquirer recognizes and measures 
in its financial statements the identifiable assets acquired, the 
liabilities assumed, any noncontrolling interest in the acquiree 
and  the  goodwill  acquired.  SFAS  No.  141R  also  establishes 
disclosure requirements to enable the evaluation of the nature 
and  financial  effects  of  the  business  combination.  SFAS  No. 
160 clarifies the classification of noncontrolling interests in the 
financial  statements  and  the  accounting  for  and  reporting  of 
transactions between the reporting entity and holders of such 
noncontrolling  interests.  SFAS  No.  141R  and  SFAS  No.  160 
are  effective  for  financial  statements  issued  for  fiscal  years 
beginning after December 15, 2008. Management is currently 
evaluating the potential impact, if any, of the adoption of SFAS 
No.  141R  and  SFAS  No.  160  on  the  Company’s  consolidated 
financial position and results of operations.

In  February  2007,  the  FASB  issued  SFAS  No.  159,  “The  Fair 
Value  Option  for  Financial  Assets  and  Financial  Liabilities 
—  including  an  amendment  of  FASB  Statement  No.  115” 
(SFAS No. 159). SFAS No. 159 expands the use of fair value 
accounting but does not affect existing standards that require 
assets or liabilities to be carried at fair value. Under SFAS No. 
159, a company may elect to use fair value to measure accounts 
and  loans  receivable,  available-for-sale  and  held-to-maturity 
securities,  equity  method  investments,  accounts  payable, 
guarantees  and  issued  debt.  Other  eligible  items  include 
firm  commitments  for  financial  instruments  that  otherwise 
would not be recognized at inception and non-cash warranty 

obligations where a warrantor is permitted to pay a third party 

to  provide  the  warranty  goods  or  services.  If  the  use  of  fair 

value is elected, any upfront costs and fees related to the item 

must be recognized in earnings and cannot be deferred, such as 

debt issuance costs. The fair value election is irrevocable and 

generally made on an instrument-by-instrument basis, even if a 

company has similar instruments that it elects not to measure 

based  on  fair  value.  At  the  adoption  date,  unrealized  gains 

and  losses  on  existing  items  for  which  fair  value  has  been 

elected are reported as a cumulative adjustment to beginning 

retained  earnings.  Subsequent  to  the  adoption  of  SFAS  No. 

159, changes in fair value are recognized in earnings. SFAS No. 

159 is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years 

beginning after November 15, 2007. Management is currently 

evaluating the effect that the adoption of SFAS No. 159 will 

have  on  the  Company’s  consolidated  financial  position  and 

results of operations.

In  September  2006,  the  FASB  issued  SFAS  No.  157,  “Fair 

Value Measurements” (SFAS No. 157). SFAS No. 157 provides 

guidance for using fair value to measure assets and liabilities. 

It also responds to investors’ requests for expanded information 

about  the  extent  to  which  companies  measure  assets  and 

liabilities  at  fair  value,  the  information  used  to  measure  fair 

value and the effect of fair value measurements on earnings. 

SFAS  No.  157  applies  whenever  other  standards  require  (or 

permit) assets or liabilities to be measured at fair value, and 

does not expand the use of fair value in any new circumstances. 

SFAS No. 157 is effective for financial statements issued for 

fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2007. Management 

is currently evaluating the effect that the adoption of SFAS No. 

157 will have on the Company’s consolidated financial position 

and results of operations.

99

ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND 
DISAGREEMENTS WITH 
ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING 
AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

None

ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND 
PROCEDURES

Our management, with the participation of our President and 
Chief  Executive  Officer,  and  Executive  Vice  President  and 
Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of our 
disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in 
Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of 
the end of the period covered by this report.  Based on such 
evaluation,  our  President  and  Chief  Executive  Officer,  and 
Executive  Vice  President  and  Chief  Financial  Officer,  have 
concluded  that,  as  of  the  end  of  such  period,  our  disclosure 
controls and procedures were effective.

Management’s  annual  report  on  our  internal  control  over 
financial  reporting  and  the  independent  registered  public 
accounting  firm’s  audit  report  on  the  effectiveness  of  our 
internal  controls  over  financial  reporting  are  included  in  our 
financial  statements  for  the  year  ended  December  31,  2007 
included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, under 
the headings “Report of Management on Danaher Corporation’s 
Internal  Control  Over  Financial  Reporting”  and  “Report  of 
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm”, respectively, 
and are incorporated herein by reference.

We completed the acquisition of Tektronix, Inc. on November 
21, 2007. We consider the transaction material to Company’s 
consolidated  financial  statements  from  the  date  of  the 
acquisition through December 31, 2007, and believe that the 
internal controls and procedures of Tektronix have a material 
effect on our internal control over financial reporting. Due to 
the close proximity of the completion date of the acquisition 
to the date of management’s assessment of the effectiveness 
of  the  Company’s  internal  control  over  financial  reporting, 
management  excluded  the  Tektronix  business  from 
its 
assessment  of  internal  control  over  financial  reporting.    As 
of  December  31,  2007,  Tektronix,  an  indirect,  wholly-owned 
subsidiary of the Company, accounted for $3.3 billion and $2.8 
billion of the Company’s total and net assets, respectively, and 
$133  million  and  $62  million  of  the  Company’s  revenues  and 
net loss, respectively, for the year then ended. 

There  have  been  no  other  changes  in  our  internal  control 
over  financial  reporting  that  occurred  during  our  most  recent 
completed fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are 
reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over 
financial reporting.

ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION

None

100

Exhibit 31.1

Certification

I, H. Lawrence Culp, Jr., certify that:

1.  I  have  reviewed  this  report  on  Form  10-K  of  Danaher 

Corporation;

2.  Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any 
untrue  statement  of  a  material  fact  or  omit  to  state  a 
material fact necessary to make the statements made, in 
light  of  the  circumstances  under  which  such  statements 
were  made,  not  misleading  with  respect  to  the  period 
covered by this report;

3.   Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other 
financial information included in this report, fairly present 
in  all  material  respects  the  financial  condition,  results  of 
operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, 
the periods presented in this report;

4.  The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible 
for  establishing  and  maintaining  disclosure  controls  and 
procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 
15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as 
defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for 
the registrant and have:
a.  Designed  such  disclosure  controls  and  procedures, 
or  caused  such  disclosure  controls  and  procedures 
to  be  designed  under  our  supervision,  to  ensure  that 
material information relating to the registrant, including 
its  consolidated  subsidiaries,  is  made  known  to  us  by 
others  within  those  entities,  particularly  during  the 
period in which this report is being prepared;

b.  Designed such internal control over financial reporting, 
or caused such internal control over financial reporting 
to  be  designed  under  our  supervision,  to  provide 
reasonable  assurance  regarding  the  reliability  of 

financial  reporting  and  the  preparation  of  financial 

statements  for  external  purposes  in  accordance  with 

generally accepted accounting principles;

c.  Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure 

controls and procedures and presented in this report our 

conclusions  about  the  effectiveness  of  the  disclosure 

controls  and  procedures,  as  of  the  end  of  the  period 

covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

d.  Disclosed  in  this  report  any  change  in  the  registrant’s 

internal  control  over  financial  reporting  that  occurred 

during  the  registrant’s  most  recent  fiscal  quarter  (the 

registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual 

report)  that  has  materially  affected,  or  is  reasonably 

likely  to  materially  affect,  the  registrant’s  internal 

control over financial reporting; and

5.  The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, 

based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over 

financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit 

committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons 

performing the equivalent functions):

a.  All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in 

the design or operation of internal control over financial 

reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect 

the  registrant’s  ability  to  record,  process,  summarize 

and report financial information; and

101

b.  Any  fraud,  whether  or  not  material,  that  involves 

management  or  other  employees  who  have  a 

significant role in the registrant’s internal control over 

financial reporting.

Date: 

February 20, 2008  

By: 

/s/ H. Lawrence Culp, Jr. 

Name:   H. Lawrence Culp, Jr. 

Title:  

President and Chief Executive Officer 

Exhibit 31.2

Certification

I, Daniel L. Comas, certify that:

1.  I  have  reviewed  this  report  on  Form  10-K  of  Danaher 

Corporation;

2.  Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any 

untrue  statement  of  a  material  fact  or  omit  to  state  a 

material fact necessary to make the statements made, in 

light  of  the  circumstances  under  which  such  statements 

were  made,  not  misleading  with  respect  to  the  period 

covered by this report;

3.   Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other 

financial information included in this report, fairly present 

in  all  material  respects  the  financial  condition,  results  of 

operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, 

the periods presented in this report;

4.  The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible 

for  establishing  and  maintaining  disclosure  controls  and 

procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 

15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as 

defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for 

102

the registrant and have:

a.  Designed  such  disclosure  controls  and  procedures, 

or  caused  such  disclosure  controls  and  procedures 

to  be  designed  under  our  supervision,  to  ensure  that 

material information relating to the registrant, including 

its  consolidated  subsidiaries,  is  made  known  to  us  by 

others  within  those  entities,  particularly  during  the 

period in which this report is being prepared;

b.  Designed such internal control over financial reporting, 

or caused such internal control over financial reporting 

to  be  designed  under  our  supervision,  to  provide 

reasonable  assurance  regarding  the  reliability  of 
financial  reporting  and  the  preparation  of  financial 
statements  for  external  purposes  in  accordance  with 
generally accepted accounting principles;

c.  Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure 
controls and procedures and presented in this report our 
conclusions  about  the  effectiveness  of  the  disclosure 
controls  and  procedures,  as  of  the  end  of  the  period 
covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
d.  Disclosed  in  this  report  any  change  in  the  registrant’s 
internal  control  over  financial  reporting  that  occurred 
during  the  registrant’s  most  recent  fiscal  quarter  (the 
registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual 
report)  that  has  materially  affected,  or  is  reasonably 
likely  to  materially  affect,  the  registrant’s  internal 
control over financial reporting; and

5.  The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, 
based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over 
financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit 
committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons 
performing the equivalent functions):
a.  All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in 
the design or operation of internal control over financial 
reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect 
the  registrant’s  ability  to  record,  process,  summarize 
and report financial information; and

b.  Any  fraud,  whether  or  not  material,  that  involves 
management or other employees who have a significant 
role  in  the  registrant’s  internal  control  over  financial 
reporting.

February 20, 2008  
/s/ Daniel L. Comas 

Date:  
By:    
Name:   Daniel L. Comas 
Title:  

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Exhibit 32.1

Exhibit 32.2 

Certification Of Chief Executive Officer Pursuant To 
18 U.S.C. Section 1350, 
As Adopted Pursuant To 
Section 906 Of The Sarbanes-Oxley Act Of 2002

Certification Of Chief Financial Officer Pursuant To 
18 U.S.C. Section 1350, 
As Adopted Pursuant To 
Section 906 Of The Sarbanes-Oxley Act Of 2002

I, H. Lawrence Culp, Jr., certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 
1350,  as  adopted  pursuant  to  Section  906  of  the  Sarbanes-
Oxley Act of 2002, that to my knowledge, Danaher Corporation’s 
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 
31, 2007 fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) 
or  15(d)  of  the  Securities  Exchange  Act  of  1934  and  that 
information  contained  in  such  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K 
fairly presents in all material respects the financial condition 
and results of operations of Danaher Corporation. 

I, Daniel L. Comas, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, 
as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act 
of 2002, that to my knowledge, Danaher Corporation’s Annual 
Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007 
fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) 
of  the  Securities  Exchange  Act  of  1934  and  that  information 
contained in such Annual Report on Form 10-K fairly presents 
in  all  material  respects  the  financial  condition  and  results  of 
operations of Danaher Corporation. 

February 20, 2008 
/s/ H. Lawrence Culp, Jr.  

Date:  
By:      
Name:   H. Lawrence Culp, Jr. 
Title:  

President and Chief Executive Officer

February 20, 2008  
/s/ Daniel L. Comas  

Date:  
By:   
Name:   Daniel L. Comas 
Title:  

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer 

This  certification  accompanies  the  Annual  Report  on  Form 
10-K  pursuant  to  Section  906  of  the  Sarbanes-Oxley  Act  of 
2002 and shall not be deemed filed for purposes of Section 18 
of  the  Exchange  Act,  or  otherwise  subject  to  the  liability 
of  that  section.  This  certification  shall  not  be  deemed  to  be 
incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities 
Act  or  the  Exchange  Act,  except  to  the  extent  that  Danaher 
Corporation specifically incorporates it by reference.

This  certification  accompanies  the  Annual  Report  on  Form 
10-K  pursuant  to  Section  906  of  the  Sarbanes-Oxley  Act  of 
2002 and shall not be deemed filed for purposes of Section 18 
of  the  Exchange  Act,  or  otherwise  subject  to  the  liability 
of  that  section.  This  certification  shall  not  be  deemed  to  be 
incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities 
Act  or  the  Exchange  Act,  except  to  the  extent  that  Danaher 
Corporation specifically incorporates it by reference.

103

Supplemental reconciliation of non-GAAP financial information to corresponding financial information 
presented in accordance with GAAP

Reconciliation of Diluted Earnings Per Share from Continuing Operations (GAAP) to  
Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share from Continuing Operations (non-GAAP):

                                                                                                                 Years Ended

Diluted Earnings Per Share from  

Continuing Operations per GAAP

After-tax gain on indemnity proceeds related to 

litigation matter ($12.5 million pre-tax)

After-tax gain on sale of securities acquired in 

connection with an unsuccessful acquisition bid 
(First Technology – $14 million pre-tax)

Gains from net reduction in income tax reserves 

and discrete tax benefits

After-tax charges related to the acquisition of 
Tektronix, for purchased in-process research 
and development and fair value adjustments 
to recorded inventory and deferred revenue 
balances ($68.2 million pre-tax)

Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share from  

Continuing Operations (non-GAAP)

December 31, 2007

December 31, 2006

% Change

$       3.72

     (0.02)

--

(0.07)

$     3.44

8.0%

--

(0.03)

(0.21)

0.20

--

$      3.83

$     3.20

19.0%

104

Reconciliation of Operating Cash Flows from Continuing Operations (GAAP) to  
Free Cash Flow from Continuing Operations (non-GAAP):

($ in 000’s)

Operating Cash Flows from 

December  
31, 2003

December  
31, 2004

December  
31, 2005

December  
31, 2006

December  
31, 2007

Continuing Operations (GAAP)

 $  822,030 

 $  1,019,474 

 $  1,189,267 

 $  1,530,729 

 $  1,699,308 

Payments for Property, Plant & 

Equipment (Capital Expenditures)

 $  (78,733)

 $   (114,580)

 $   (119,733)

 $   (136,411)

 $   (162,071)

Free Cash Flow (non-GAAP)

 $  743,297 

 $     904,894 

 $  1,069,534 

 $  1,394,318 

 $  1,537,237 

 
The following graph compares the yearly percentage change in the cumulative total shareholder return in Danaher common stock 
during the five years ended December 31, 2007 with the cumulative total return on the S&P 500 Index (the equity index) and the S&P 
500 Industrial Index (the peer index). The comparison assumes $1.00 was invested on December 31, 2002 in Danaher common stock 
and in both of the above indices with reinvestment of dividends. This graph is not deemed to be “soliciting material” or to be “filed” 
with the SEC or subject to the SEC’s proxy rules or to the liabilities of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of the 1934, except 
to the extent that Danaher specifically requests that such information be treated as soliciting material or specifically incorporates it 
by reference into a filing under the Securities Act or the Securities Exchange Act.

Comparison of Five-Year Cumulative Total Return
Among Danaher Corporation, S&P 500 Index and S&P 500 Industrial Index

Danaher Corporation

S&P 500 (Equity Index)

S&P 500 Industrial Index (Peer Index)

3.0

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

12/31/02 

12/31/03 

12/31/04 

12/31/05 

12/31/06 

12/31/07

105

12/31/02

12/31/03

12/31/04

12/31/05

12/31/06

12/31/07

Danaher Corporation

S&P 500  
(Equity Index)

S&P 500 Industrial Index 
(Peer Index)

1.00

1.40

1.75

1.70

2.22

2.69

1.00

1.29

1.43

1.50

1.73

1.83

1.00

1.32

1.56

1.60

1.81

2.03

 
Directors

Mortimer M. Caplin
Founder and Member 
Caplin & Drysdale

H. Lawrence Culp, Jr.
President and Chief  
Executive Officer 
Danaher Corporation

Donald J. Ehrlich
Chief Executive Officer 
Schwab Corporation

Linda P. Hefner
Executive Vice President and 
General Manager – Home 
Division, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. 

Walter G. Lohr, Jr.
Partner 
Hogan & Hartson

Mitchell P. Rales
Chairman of the  
Executive Committee 
Danaher Corporation

Steven M. Rales
Chairman of the Board 
Danaher Corporation

John T. Schwieters
Vice Chairman  
Perseus, LLC

Alan G. Spoon
Managing General Partner 
Polaris Venture Partners

A. Emmet Stephenson, Jr.
General Partner 
Stephenson Ventures

Executive Officers

Steven M. Rales
Chairman of the Board

Mitchell P. Rales
Chairman of the  
Executive Committee

H. Lawrence Culp, Jr. 
President and Chief  
Executive Officer

Daniel L. Comas  
Executive Vice President,  
Chief Financial Officer

Thomas P. Joyce, Jr.
Executive Vice President 

Philip W. Knisely 
Executive Vice President

James A. Lico
Executive Vice President

James H. Ditkoff  
Senior Vice President –  
Finance & Tax

Jonathan P. Graham
Senior Vice President –  
General Counsel

Robert S. Lutz 
Vice President –  
Chief Accounting Officer

Daniel A. Raskas
Vice President –  
Corporate Development

Corporate Officers

Steven L. Breitzka
Vice President and  
Group Executive

William K. Daniel II
Vice President and  
Group Executive

Daniel E. Even
Vice President and  
Group Executive

Martin Gafinowitz
Vice President and  
Group Executive

Alexander Granderath
Vice President and  
Group Executive

Barbara B. Hulit
Vice President and 
Group Executive

Alex A. Joseph
Vice President and  
Group Executive

Craig B. Purse
Vice President and  
Group Executive

J. David Bergmann
Vice President – Audit

Hach Ultra Analytics
Yves Docommun 

Hennessy Industries, Inc.
Michael J. Schulte

Jacobs Vehicle Systems
Robert M. Tykal

KaVo
Alexander Granderath

Kerr
Steven M. Paskin 

Kollmorgen
Kevin E. Layne

Kollmorgen Electro-Optical
Michael J. Wall

Leica Microsystems
David R. Martyr

Matco Tools Corporation
Thomas N. Willis

Ormco
Donald L. Tuttle

Pacific Scientific Energetic 
Materials Company
H. Kenyon Bixby

Pacific Scientific Aerospace
Darryl L. Mayhorn

Radiometer
Peter Kürstein

Tektronix
James A. Lico

Tektronix Communications
Richard D. McBee

Thomson
Michael L. Douglas

Trojan Technologies
Marvin R. DeVries

Veeder-Root
Jason R. Wilbur

Videojet Technologies
Matthew L. Trerotola

Brian E. Burnett
Vice President – Danaher 
Business System Office

William H. King
Vice President – Strategic 
Development 

Frank T. McFaden
Vice President – Treasurer 

James F. O’Reilly
Associate General Counsel  
and Secretary 

Henk van Duijnhoven
Vice President –  
Human Resources

Philip B. Whitehead
Vice President –  
Managing Director

Frank Anders Wilson
Vice President –  
Investor Relations

Frances B. L. Zee
Vice President – Regulatory 
Affairs / Quality Assurance

Major Operating 
Company Presidents

ChemTreat
John A. Nygren

Danaher Sensors and 
Controls
Alex A. Joseph

Danaher Tool Group  
Commercial Operations
John P. Constantine

Danaher Tool Group 
Professional Tool Division
John W. Allenbach

Fluke
Barbara B. Hulit

Fluke Networks
Paul J. Caragher

Gilbarco Veeder-Root
Martin Gafinowitz

Hach-Lange 
Jonathan O. Clark

106

Shareholder Information / www.danaher.com

Our transfer agent can help you with a variety  
of shareholder related services including:
•  Change of address
•  Lost stock certificates
•  Transfer of stock to another person
•  Additional administrative services

Contacting our Transfer Agent
Computershare
PO Box 43078
Providence, RI  02940-3078
Toll Free: 800.568.3476
Outside the U.S.: 312.588.4991

Investor Relations
This annual report along with a variety of  
other financial materials can be viewed at  
www.danaher.com.

Additional inquiries may be directed  
to Investor Relations at:
Danaher
2099 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, 12th Floor
Washington, DC  20006
Phone: 202.828.0850
Fax: 202.828.0860
Email: ir@danaher.com

Annual Meeting
Danaher’s annual shareholder meeting will be held  
on May 6, 2008 in Washington, DC. Shareholders  
who would like to attend the meeting should register 
with Investor Relations by calling 202.828.0850  
or via email at ir@danaher.com.

4

Auditors
Ernst & Young LLP, Baltimore, Maryland

Stock Listing
Symbol: DHR
New York Stock Exchange

2099 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, 12th Floor
Washington, DC 20006
T: 202.828.0850
www.danaher.com