SRI Surgical up for sale

TAMPA — SRI/Surgical Express Inc. will “explore and evaluate strategic alternatives” to increase the value of its business, including a possible sale or merger, the company says in a statement.

The announcement pushed shares of SRI's stock (symbol: STRC) up 19% in early Thursday trading.

The Tampa-based surgical instrument processor has generated more than $94 million in revenues in each of the past four years, including nearly $101 million in business in 2010. Despite the high volume of business, SRI posted more than $10 million in combined operating losses since 2007.