Local currency sales growth was 27%, and we had very strong broad-based growth in all regions and most product lines.
With the exception with this exceptional sales growth and combined with focused execution of our margin initiatives, we achieved a 45% growth in adjusted operating income and 53% increase in adjusted EPS.
Sales were $924.4 million in the quarter, an increase of 27% in local currency.
On a U.S. dollar basis, sales increased 34% as currency benefited sales growth by 7% in the quarter.
The PendoTECH acquisition contributed approximately 1% to sales growth in the quarter.
Local currency sales increased 29% in the Americas, 23% in Europe, and 28% in Asia/Rest of World.
Local currency sales increased 35% in China in the quarter.
Local currency sales grew 23% for the first six months with a 22% increase in the Americas, 18% in Europe, and 28% growth in Asia/Rest of World.
For the second quarter, laboratory sales increased 35%, industrial increased 20%, with core industrial up 27% and product inspection up 9%.
Food retail increased 9% in the quarter.
Laboratory sales increased 27% and industrial increased 19% with core industrial up 27% and product inspection up 7%.
Food Retail increased 11% for the first six months.
Gross margin in the quarter was 58.1%, a 50 basis point increase over the prior-year level of 57.6%.
R&D amounted to $42.6 million in the quarter, which is a 28% increase in local currency over the prior period.
SG&A amounted to $239 million, a 20% increase in local currency over the prior year.
Adjusted operating profit amounted to $255.3 million in the quarter, a 45% increase over the prior-year amount of $176.6 million.
Adjusted operating margins increased 200 basis points in the quarter to 27.6%.
Currency benefited operating profit growth by approximately 7% but had little impact on operating margins.
Operating -- I'm sorry, amortization amounted to $16.2 million in the quarter.
Interest expense was $10.4 million in the quarter and other income in the quarter amounted to $2.7 million primarily reflecting non-service-related pension income.
Our effective tax rate before discrete items and adjusted for the timing of stock option deductions was 19.5%.
Fully diluted shares amounted to $23.5 million in the quarter, which is a 3% decline from the prior year.
Adjusted earnings per share for the quarter was $8.10, a 53% increase over the prior-year amount of $5.29.
Currency benefited adjusted earnings per share growth by approximately 7% in the quarter.
On a reported basis in the quarter, earnings per share was $7.85 as compared to $5.22 in the prior year.
Reported earnings per share in the quarter includes $0.19 of purchased intangible amortization, $0.03 of restructuring, and $0.03 due to the difference between our quarterly and annual tax rate due to the timing of stock option exercises.
Local currency sales grew 23% for the six months.
Adjusted operating income increased 47% with margins up 330 basis points.
Adjusted earnings per share grew 58% on a year-to-date basis.
In the quarter, adjusted free cash flow amounted to $233.3 million, which is an increase of 41% on a per-share basis as compared to the prior year.
DSO was 36 days, which is four days less than the prior year.
ITO came in at 4.6 times, which is slightly better than last year.
For the first half, adjusted free cash flow amounted to $372.2 million, an increase of 75% on a per-share basis as compared to the prior year.
For the full year 2021, with the benefit of our strong Q2 results and improved outlook for the remainder of the year, we now expect local currency sales growth for the full year to be approximately 15%.
This compares to our previous guidance range of 10% to 12%.
We expect full-year adjusted earnings per share to be in the range of $32.60 to $32.90, which is a growth rate of 27% to 28%.
This compares to previous guidance of adjusted earnings per share in the range of $31.45 to $31.90.
With respect to the third quarter, we would expect local currency sales growth to be in the range of 11% to 13% and expect adjusted earnings per share to be in a range of $8.12 to $8.27, a growth rate of 16% to 18%.
In terms of free cash flow for the year, we now expect it to be in the range of $770 million.
We expect to repurchase in total one billion in shares in 2021, which should put us in the range of a net debt-to-EBITDA leverage ratio of approximately 1.5 times at the end of the year.
With respect to the impact of currency on sales growth, we expect currency to increase sales growth by approximately 3% in 2021 and 2% in the third quarter.
In terms of adjusted EPS, currency will benefit growth by approximately 3% in the quarter and approximately 3.5% for the full year 2021.
Let me make some comments on our operating businesses, starting with Lab, which had an outstanding growth of 35% in the quarter.
In terms of our industrial business, core industrial did very well in the quarter with a 27% increase in sales.
Product Inspection had increased momentum and solid sales growth of 9% in the quarter.
Food retailing grew 9% in the quarter.
Sales in Europe increased 23% in the quarter with excellent growth in lab, core industrial, and food retail.
Americas increased 29% in the quarter with excellent growth in lab and core industrial.
Finally, Asia and the rest of the world grew 28% in the quarter with outstanding growth in Laboratory and Industrial.
Service and consumables performed very well and were up 23% in the quarter.
While our goal this year is to launch 2,000 webinars in local languages, which helps to overcome the limitations we face with customer interactions due to the pandemic.
We have professionalized the delivery of the webinars and have expanded our topics to include items such as compliance, productivity, Industry 4.0, and data integrity.

Summary:
Sales were $924.4 million in the quarter, an increase of 27% in local currency.
Adjusted earnings per share for the quarter was $8.10, a 53% increase over the prior-year amount of $5.29.
On a reported basis in the quarter, earnings per share was $7.85 as compared to $5.22 in the prior year.
For the full year 2021, with the benefit of our strong Q2 results and improved outlook for the remainder of the year, we now expect local currency sales growth for the full year to be approximately 15%.
We expect full-year adjusted earnings per share to be in the range of $32.60 to $32.90, which is a growth rate of 27% to 28%.
With respect to the third quarter, we would expect local currency sales growth to be in the range of 11% to 13% and expect adjusted earnings per share to be in a range of $8.12 to $8.27, a growth rate of 16% to 18%.