Access Control
& Security Systems

Zebra Technologies Corp., Vernon Hills, Ill., and Fargo Electronics Inc., Eden Prairie, Minn., have agreed to back out of a proposed $86 million merger agreement because the Federal Trade Commission would likely block the deal.

"No doubt, we are disappointed that we did not complete the Fargo acquisition," says Zebra chairman and CEO Edward Kaplan. "Fargo was one of many avenues for growth for Zebra, in card personalization systems, bar code label and receipt printing and related areas.

As for Fargo, president and chief executive Gary R. Holland expects a strong financial performance this year, with predicted earnings of 50 to 65 cents per share, compared to 34 cents last year.

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• On A Higher Plane
• More from April's issue