Press Release Details

MELVILLE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 29, 2004--

Agreement Expands Zahn Dental's Product Portfolio in Porcelain and Composite Markets

Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC), the largest provider of healthcare products and services to office-based practitioners in the combined North American and European markets, today announced the signing of an exclusive worldwide distribution agreement with Pentron Laboratory Technologies, LLC. The agreement expands the product offering of the Company's Zahn Dental laboratory supply division. Through this arrangement, the Company will now exclusively offer Pentron Laboratory's precious metals, porcelain, and composite products to its customers, which include more than 17,000 dental laboratories in the U.S. and Canada.

"This agreement holds great benefits for Henry Schein and Pentron, as well as for our customers, who prefer us to offer the widest possible range of products, making one-stop shopping possible and enhancing laboratory efficiency," said Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Henry Schein. "Consistent with our goal to be a full-service provider of dental laboratory needs, we have been seeking to expand our product portfolio in ceramic and composite products for some time."

"Pentron's leadership in providing innovative products in these two high-growth areas, as well as its key position in dental alloys, is widely recognized," continued Mr. Bergman. "We are delighted to become the exclusive distributor for these dental laboratory products, supplementing our broad current product offering."

Pentron offers advanced materials for fixed prosthetics and cosmetic restorations, such as custom crowns, bridges, inlays, onlays and veneers. In the past five years, cosmetic dentistry has been one of the fastest growing areas of the profession.

"Henry Schein's ability to reach dental laboratories through its Zahn Dental laboratory distribution supply business offers us the perfect partner for marketing our products," said Gordon S. Cohen, M.D., Chairman of Pentron Corporation, parent company of Pentron Laboratory Technologies. "Henry Schein's effective combination of field sales consultants, telesales representatives, direct marketing programs, as well as education and training, is the ideal way to educate prospective customers of the benefits that our products deliver. We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with Henry Schein."

About Pentron Laboratory Technologies

Established in 1965, Pentron Laboratory Technologies is a world leader in the development and manufacture of advanced dental restorative materials. The Company's research and manufacturing facilities extend to advanced ceramics, high strength composites, as well as precious and non-precious metal alloys.

Always an innovator, the company holds more than seventy patents covering all aspects of dental materials technology. Pentron led the industry with its development of high strength porcelains for metal-free crown and bridge restorations, and its 3G Pressable Ceramic is widely regarded as one of the strongest, most esthetic systems available today. The Company's Avante Porcelain combines lifelike vitality with unsurpassed ease of use, and its Sculpture Plus Composite provides a simple, natural looking alternative to ceramic. The company also manufactures a full line of precious and non-precious dental alloys for crowns and bridges. In addition to its innovative products, Pentron is well respected among its dental laboratory customers for its high level of technical service and support. Such service, combined with its ongoing commitment to research, has helped keep Pentron products as the premium restorative materials choice for nearly forty years.

About Henry Schein

Recognized for its excellent customer service and low prices, Henry Schein's four business groups--Dental, Medical, International and Technology--serve more than 400,000 customers worldwide, including dental practices and laboratories, physician practices and veterinary clinics, as well as government and other institutions.

The Company operates through a centralized and automated distribution network, which provides customers in more than 125 countries with a comprehensive selection of over 90,000 national and Henry Schein private-brand products. Henry Schein also offers a wide range of innovative value-added practice solutions, including such leading practice management software systems as DENTRIX(R) and Easy Dental(R) for dental practices, Labnet(R) for dental laboratories; and AVImark(R) for veterinary clinics, which are installed in over 50,000 practices; and ArubA(R), Henry Schein's electronic catalog and ordering system.

Henry Schein's sales reached a record $3.1 billion for the twelve months ended September 27, 2003. Headquartered in Melville, N.Y., Henry Schein employs nearly 8,000 people in 16 countries. For more information, visit the Henry Schein Web site at www.henryschein.com.

Certain information contained herein includes information that is forward-looking. The matters referred to in forward-looking statements may be affected by the risks and uncertainties involved in the Company's business. These forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

CONTACT: Henry Schein, Inc.
Steven Paladino, 631-843-5500
steve.paladino@henryschein.com
or
Investor and Public Relations:
Susan Vassallo, 631-843-5562
susan.vassallo@henryschein.com

SOURCE: Henry Schein, Inc.