San Ramon-based medical device firm CooperCompanies last month signed a definitive purchase agreement to acquire reproductive sciences company Generate Life Sciences for $1.6 billion in a deal expected to close in the first fiscal quarter of next year, subject to closing conditions and regulatory approval.

Generate Life Sciences, headquartered in Los Angeles, is a leading provider of donor egg and sperm for fertility treatments, fertility cryopreservation services and newborn stem cell storage.

"This acquisition is a strong strategic fit for CooperSurgical as it allows us to better serve fertility clinics and OB/GYNs with a more extensive suite of products and services," Cooper CEO/President Al White said in a statement.

"As a leader in women's healthcare, this is an important addition to our existing offerings and allows us to leverage our infrastructure and expertise, including our sales forces' strong clinical reputation and educational capabilities," White added.

Cooper, which focuses on surgical and vision care medical devices, also recently announced two promotions within the company, effective Feb. 1: Dan McBride taking on expanded, company-wide responsibilities as executive vice president, chief operating officer of CooperCompanies; and EVP Jerry Warner becoming president of CooperVision.

Medea Inc. marked the opening of its new offices on Saint Mary Street in Pleasanton earlier this fall with an event that included an appearance by NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal.

The company, founded in 2014 and previously known as a consumer packaged goods and technology provider, shifted its focus last year toward wholesale production and distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the pandemic.

Of the Medea's transition during the pandemic, company CEO Brandon Laidlaw said, "We had to innovate and analyze our business from all angles. Other companies were starting to use their distilleries to make hand sanitizer. That wasn't possible for us because our distillery is in the Netherlands. However, our products are created in Asia. Recruiting our manufacturers to pivot from our core business to the production of PPE, was a viable option worth taking."

Topcon Positioning Group, a product and service firm for the construction, geospatial and agricultural fields, has expanded its company headquarters on National Drive in Livermore with the new John D. Dice Training Center, named for the company's longtime director of professional services.

Dice, who has been with the company since its early years, is known for training, support and educational skills to help improve the company's distributor and customer training programs, according to Topcon President and CEO Ray O'Connor.

O'Connor also announced the company recently bought a nearly 31,000-square-foot building it had previously been leasing in Livermore, as well as purchased 60 acres nearby earmarked for a new, state-of-the-art testing site. That makes nearly 80 acres owned by Topcon in the Tri-Valley at an investment exceeding $20 million.

"The continued expansion of our Livermore headquarters is in direct response to a global increase in digitalization and technology adoption throughout the construction and agricultural industries," O'Connor said in a statement. "

"This investment not only demonstrates our commitment to supporting the ever-growing demand for technology in the geospatial, construction and agricultural industries, it also shows our dedication to our local economy in a time when so many companies are choosing to leave the state of California," he added.