History

In 1969 Mentor Corporation was founded in Minneapolis by Christopher Conway, Eugene Glover and Thomas Hauser. The Company started with four employees (including the founders) and initial capital of $50,000. Mentor went public in 1970. The product line introduced in the first year consisted of several electronic laboratory instruments for the detection and measurement of the electrical activity of nerve cells and neural systems, and development began on new devices to control urological disorders by electrical nerve stimulation.

Mentor's involvement in urology led to the development of new disposable products for managing urinary control problems. The introduction of the Mentor UroSan (predecessor of the Freedom-Cath) in 1974 and special urethral catheters for the treatment of urinary retention (Self-Cath) in 1975 marked the beginning of the Company's successful growth, and enabled Mentor to achieve its present leading position in the domestic external catheter market for treatment of urinary retention. Development of an implantable penile prosthesis began in 1980 and led to the successful growth of the Company's surgical urology division.

In 1984 Mentor acquired the Heyer-Schulte division of American Hospital Supply located in Santa Barbara, California. The acquisition more than doubled Mentor's sales and diversified its product lines. Heyer-Schulte produced several implantable products, including breast implants, and gave Mentor a leading position in the plastic surgery market. Mentor moved its headquarters from Minneapolis to the Heyer-Schulte facilities in Santa Barbara in 1985.

In 1990 Mentor acquired Mentor O&O, an ophthalmology product manufacturer based in Boston. Mentor O&O was acquired to provide diversification into the ophthalmology field and for its Polytef product, an injectable material that had considerable market potential for the treatment of urinary incontinence. In 1999 Mentor divested the ophthalmology division as a strategic decision to concentrate its future efforts in plastic and reconstructive surgery and urology where the Company has market leadership. International sales rose steadily during the 1980s, but took a dramatic leap in 1991 following the opening of direct sales offices in Germany, Australia, United Kingdom and Canada. Today, Mentor also has direct sales offices in Benelux, France, Spain and Italy. In 1993 the Company selected a European manufacturing site in Leiden, The Netherlands, which became operational in 1994.

Mentor sustained sales and earnings growth has earned the Company recognition in numerous business achievement listings; these include the Inc. 100, Forbes Best 200, Business Week, OTC Review, and California Business.