IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

BIOLASE, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIOL), the global leader in dental lasers, announced today that veteran international dental sales and business development executive Holger Arens has been named to the newly-created position of Vice President and Managing Director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), effective immediately. Arens is based in Germany and will report directly to President and CEO Harold C. Flynn, Jr., and be responsible for all EMEA commercial and operational activities.

Arens, 54, has more than 15 years of experience in a variety of commercial and operational activities in international dental sales and business development. Since 2013, Arens has been consulting with dental and medical technology entrepreneurs, investors and manufacturers in establishing business plans and implementing robust commercial processes to improve the performance of sales and marketing teams.

From 1999 to 2013, Arens was with KaVo Dental GmbH, based in Biberach, Germany, where he held executive positions of increasing responsibility, being promoted to Vice President of Sales and Service EMEA in 2010. During his tenure in that position, he led a turnaround and significantly grew sales and profitability up to and after its acquisition by Danaher Corporation.

“Holger is a seasoned and proven commercial executive who has developed a strong network in the dental sector and has a deep understanding of the complexities and challenges associated with our markets in the region for capital equipment, consumable sales and service,” Flynn said. “He will be focused on leading and developing our EMEA team and helping us grow and improve our business in the largest single geographic region in dentistry, taking it to an entirely new level. We are very excited to have an executive of Holger’s capabilities joining our team.”

While at KaVo Dental, Arens spearheaded the company’s growth in market share, the increase in its after-sales service business in Europe, and the expansion of its footprint in emerging markets in EMEA, especially in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Arens also oversaw the design and implementation of a European training center, the reshaping of the European organization’s programs to increase competitiveness, and he regularly participated in M&A activities.

Prior to KaVo, Arens spent 10 years in roles of increasing responsibility with 3M Deutschland where he was introduced to the dental business when 3M acquired Unitek.

Arens has a degree in Business Administration from the University of Applied Science in Dusseldorf, Germany.

About BIOLASE, Inc.

BIOLASE, Inc. is a medical device company that develops, manufactures, markets, and sells laser systems in dentistry and medicine and also markets, sells, and distributes dental imaging equipment, including digital x-rays and CAD/CAM scanners. BIOLASE’s products are focused on technologies that advance the practice of dentistry to both the dentist and their patients. The Company's proprietary laser products incorporate approximately 255 patented and 90 patent-pending technologies designed to provide biologically clinically superior performance with less pain and faster recovery times. Its innovative products provide cutting-edge technology at competitive prices to deliver the best results for dentists and patients. BIOLASE's principal products are revolutionary dental laser systems that perform a broad range of dental procedures, including cosmetic and complex surgical applications, and a full line of dental imaging equipment. BIOLASE has sold more than 32,000 laser systems to date in over 90 countries around the world. Laser products under development address the Company’s core dental market and other adjacent medical and consumer markets.

For updates and information on WaterLase® iPlus™ and laser dentistry, find BIOLASE online at www.biolase.com, Facebook at www.facebook.com/biolase, Twitter at www.twitter.com/biolaseinc, LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/biolase, and YouTube at www.youtube.com/biolasevideos.

BIOLASE^® and WaterLase® are registered trademarks of BIOLASE, Inc.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

Statements contained in this press release that refer to BIOLASE's estimated or anticipated future results or other non-historical facts are forward-looking statements, as are any statements in this press release concerning prospects related to BIOLASE's strategic initiatives and anticipated financial performance. Forward-looking statements can also be identified through the use of words such as “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “may,” “will,” and variations of these words or similar expressions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect BIOLASE's current expectations regarding existing trends, our strategic initiatives, the closing of the private placement and expected use of proceeds and speak only as of the date of this release. Actual results may differ materially from BIOLASE’s current expectations depending upon a number of factors affecting BIOLASE’s business. These factors include, among others, adverse changes in general economic and market conditions, competitive factors including but not limited to pricing pressures and new product introductions, uncertainty of customer acceptance of new product offerings and market changes, risks associated with managing the growth of the business, and those other risks and uncertainties that may be detailed, from time-to-time, in BIOLASE's reports filed with the SEC. BIOLASE does not undertake any responsibility to revise or update any forward-looking statements contained herein.

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