Brady acquires identity products maker

Identity solutions firm Brady Corp. broadened its ability to produce identification products by acquiring a complementary business.

Brady bought GE IDenticard Systems Inc. of Lancaster, Pa., and its Canadian affiliate IDenticam in Markham, Ontario. Terms of the transactions were not disclosed.

IDenticard offers personal identification, access control and consumable identification badges. Its products include identification card systems that combine biometrics, digital imaging and other technologies that seek to identify people and prevent card counterfeiting. The company also makes access control systems that restrict entry into buildings using multiple card-reader technologies.

IDenticam has integrated photo identification solutions, printers, supplies, accessories and visitor management solutions.

The companies have customers in the health care, education, government and manufacturing sectors. They had combined annual sales of about $33 million in fiscal 2005.

Brady of Milwaukee has about 5,500 employees and had annual sales of about $816 million in fiscal 2005.