Biolase Names Utah Businessman as CEO in Move to Go Beyond R

Biolase Technology Inc. said Wednesday that it has hired Utah businessman Jeffrey W. Jones to replace Donald A. La Point as its chief executive.

Jones, a 40-year-old public accountant, has been chief executive of HGM Medical Lasers, a privately held Salt Lake City maker of medical lasers.

La Point, 44, will remain as an executive vice president in charge of international business development at Biolase, a San Clemente manufacturer of cosmetic, dental and surgical products.

“The change is necessary because the company is growing from a research-and-development outfit into a production, sales and marketing organization,” said Federico Pignatelli, Biolase’s chairman.

“Obviously, execution in this phase is critical, so the board decided to call in an experienced person like Jeff Jones who has done it before,” Pignatelli added.

Jones said HGM has hundreds of employees and is profitable but wouldn’t disclose figures. Biolase, a public company, employs 49 people and last year posted $1.8 million in revenue and $2.8 million in losses.

Three of the company’s lasers--for treating dental cavities, skin wrinkles and soft tissue--have received regulatory approval in the last 14 months. Pignatelli said Biolase is ready to ramp up production and expects a big increase in sales next year.

The management changes are effective Nov. 27.

Jones said he’ll spend his first day on the job representing Biolase at a New York convention for dentists. “I’ll be presenting the product and getting to know the management team,” he said.