KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Qualitas Medical Group Ltd’s subsidiary Qualitas Healthcare International Sdn Bhd has acquired 75 per cent stake in Dr Marcus Cooney & Associates Pte Ltd, which operates a Singapore dental clinic under the trade name SmileFocus. Qualitas’ founder, Chairman and Managing Director Dr Noorul Ameen said the acquisition was in-line with the group’s strategy to expand its market reach into the region and other health-care-related businesses.

“Our acquisition of SmileFocus follows our first foray into the dentistry business in India earlier this year,” he said in a statement in Kuala Lumpur last month.

Located at the Camden Medical Centre, SmileFocus provides a wide range of specialist dentistry services under one roof, including cosmetic dentistry, family dentistry, as well as implant and restorative dentistry services.

Dr Ameen said the expansion of the Qualitas brand into Singapore would complement its listed status in the country. The acquisition will be paid in two tranches, either fully in cash or partly in cash and partly in Qualitas shares, with the final valuation equal to 7.5 times SmileFocus’ profit after tax for the financial year 2010. The cash portion will be paid partly from the group’s proceeds from its initial public offering in 2008 and partly through internal funding.

The Qualitas Group has one of the largest networks of clinics in Malaysia, with 166 clinics throughout the country.