In 1984, Danaher's founders transformed a real estate organization into an industrial-focused manufacturing company. Through a series of mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures, Danaher now focuses primarily on manufacturing scientific instruments and consumables in three segments: life sciences, diagnostics, and environmental and applied solutions. In late 2022, the company announced plans to divest its environmental and applied solutions group in 2023, which would leave it focused entirely on life sciences and diagnostics.