Friedrich Bayer / "Bayer AG"

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In many European countries, on picturesque business streets and along highways it is possible to see nice green-dark blue "striped" advertising of known West German pharmaceutical firm "Bayer" and its preparations. Well and as to drugstores and supermarkets there the firm already has for a long time the counters and the whole departments as quality bajerovskih has deserved medicines a recognition and doctors, and their patients all over the world.

Fridrih Bayer was born in 1825 in the place the Barman-vihlinghauzen which has become today by one of areas of the German city of Vuppertal, in a family of the worker of silk factory. The childhood and youth Fridriha have fallen to that period when the textile industry of Germany and all industrial branches connected with her worried unusual lifting.

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In 14 years it has started to work as the pupil of the direct-sales representative in firm Wesenfeld und Co., engaged sale of artificial dyes, also has quickly enough achieved successes in development of the most different aspects of this business, including theoretical questions of a chemical science, the "know-how" of synthetic paints and the most effective approaches to their realisation.

When Fridrihu it was executed 20, he has taken a great interest in compoundings of the natural painting substances made from an extract krasilnogo of a tree, and in three years has organised first own trade enterprise, gradually having transformed it in distribjutorskuju a network of the international scale. High quality has provided Bayer's with offered company of original production its dynamical advancement on the markets of many states.

The prompt progress of inorganic chemistry accompanied by creation all new and new formulas of industrially suitable and effective composit materials and preparations, has induced Fridriha to reorientation of its commercial program. Now in job aniline, fuchsin, alizarine and other front lines for that moment products of the chemical synthesis differing from the natural analogues considerably bolshej by colour purity and brightness of paints is actively used. To the middle of 1850th years Bayer's close cooperation with the known chemist-expert and process engineer Johanom Fridrihom Veskottom together with which he spends a large quantity of experiments on working out, to tests and pilot production of as much as possible perfect dyes in which basis especially interesting and perspective scientific achievements laid is adjusted. Result of this job was formation of the whole class of various painting substances of new generation which represented perfect nomenclature base for transformation of exclusively trading business of Bayer in industrial-marketing.

On August, 1st, 1863 Fridrih Bayer and Johan Fridrih Veskott, become by already constant business partners, have registered in Vuppertale neogenic company Friedr. Bayer et Comp., which sphere of activity had been designated release and distribution of synthetic paints. As their main consumers the enterprises of the textile industry act, as has predetermined the raised demand for them not only in Germany, but also in other countries where this branch has been most developed - in England, France and, certainly, Russia.

Ê1876 To year factory of paints «Bayer and the company» has been opened even in Moscow. Both partners have successfully guessed time for the "beautiful" business: for some years the "know-how" of cheap synthetic dyes from derivative coal pitches that has led to revolution in the textile industry before has been opened. If in a year of the debut in the German market the company totaled in the structure only three serial factories in the beginning of 1880th years their quantity has passed for three hundreds.

Fridrih Bayer has died in 1880 aged only 55 years but as Veskott has died four years earlier, company Bayer became in essence the family enterprise - both under the name, and on a pattern of ownership. Last years the management of firm Fridrih has begun to involve actively in its management of the sons and stepsons, having made their official partners of the company and quite naturally counting on that they become worthy continuers of the business begun by it. And he was not mistaken: Bayers of the second generation have really proved to be rather zealous and rational owners who have achieved appreciable industrial, commercial and financial growth of firm. That fact testifies to their enterprise, foresight and resoluteness at least, that one of the first independent steps undertaken by them after death of the father and the stepfather, refusal of sovereign possession of the company and its transformation to the open joint-stock enterprise was. The decision was hard, but it was accepted, and after a company exit on stock exchange in interested persons to become shareholders of firm Bayer of deficiency was not felt.

Successful job with paints has helped the company to save up enough means for development and diversifikatsii business. By 1883 when the partnership has been transformed to firm Farbenfabriken vorm. Friedr. Bayer and Co, the enterprise already actively operated in the European and American markets of the photogoods and medical products. Last became soon to the main things for the company. The firm has quickly mastered high technologies, used opening great «medical revolutionaries-humanists» - Kokh, Pasteur, Mechnikova, Vassermana.

On February, 19th, 1888 became historical day for firm "Bayer": its board has created pharmaceutics department. The following step to glory of "a world drugstore» has been made soon after that: in firm first artificial febrifuge FENATSETIN is made. Then experts of concern develop and make highly effective soporific SULFONAL which throughout decades was considered as the best in the world means for knocking over of sharp mental statuses.

And in 1899 «Bayer» has developed the well-known ASPIRIN by right named by "a medicine of a century». This famous analgetik, unique febrifugal and the resolvent remains till now means of the first choice in a medical arsenal. In 1912 the medicine has received from «Bayer» new highly effective soporific, protivosudorozhnoe and protivoepilepticheskoe means - LUMINAL.

When management Bayer has felt, that it is already not enough old capacities, the company in 1891 has got factory of dyes of Charles Leverkuza to the north from Cologne, but also - the considerable ground areas on coast of the bottom Rhine. And after two decades when the post of the chairman of board of directors was occupied with the legendary chemist and manager Charles Dujzberg, Bayer has transformed grown on a place of factory small town Leverkusen into the international headquarters. In old, remained in suburb Vuppertalja Elberfelde under the guidance of Dujzberga not less legendary research centre has been created. Whence in the world outstanding technological novelties, and on their founders - patents and awards, including Nobel fell down. During following three with superfluous decades the basic attention Bayer and Co. It has been directed on the further internationalisation of business. A consequence of this policy was that fact, that by 1913 Over 80 % of cumulative incomes the firm received from export of the production which considerable part was let out by its foreign enterprises which are in various cities of continental Europe, the Great Britain and the United States.

Despite the fact that what the requirement for dyes and medical products is peculiar not only peace, but also to a wartime, the First World War period became in history Bayer and Co. Black page. The company has lost the most part of the foreign buyers, and even attempts of integration into the general militarised economy Germany expressed in a reshaping of variety of the enterprises on release of an explosive and poisoning gases, could not prevent catastrophic falling of manufacture and decrease in incomes. And upon termination of operations Bayer in general it appears on the verge of ruin: with the property rights of the representative of the Germany which have lost war to territories of England, France and the USA nobody wishes to be considered, and company actives in these countries either will be nationalised, or passed in possession of local private business, the revolutionary government of Bolsheviks expropriates all Russian factories Bayer, and its internal financial reserves instantly turns into anything.

In 1919-1922 the annual sales volume of the company hardly-hardly surpasses half of similar indicator of 1913, and the board of directors for the first time since 1885 is compelled to declare to the remained shareholders impossibility of payment of dividends. On them, the truth, anybody seriously then did not count - as as the main support and the guarantor of a survival of firm in crisis conditions external investors, and employees Bayer have acted not: the co-ordinated policy of rigid corporate economy becomes result of their meaningful dialogue with a management, thanks to which company it is possible to stand and save the basic research-and-production potential till the moment of the nation-wide stabilisation which have come in 1924

In 1925, the company together with other firms has united in chemical I. G. Farbenindustrie AG. Leverkusen became the main industrial centre of the new giant in the Rhine area and though prior to the beginning of 1950th years trade mark Bayer has disappeared from the market, on all pharmaceutical production, I. G. Farbenindustrie, it was saved firm bajerovsky a black cross, obrazuemyj by the letters entering into the name of the company. At that time experts of the centre in Elberfelde except traditional dyes and medicines were engaged in new perspective directions: synthetic rubber and polymers. In 1930th years the employee of the company, on strange coincidence of circumstances (Otto Bayer) carrying the same surname, has invented poliuretan, and other, visible German microbiologist Gerhard Domagk, together with colleagues has opened therapeutic effect sulfanilamidov. This opening has made revolution in chemotherapy of infectious diseases, and Domagku in 1939 has brought the Nobel Prize.

But by this time in Europe new war has already flashed, and it has been untied again by Germany in which economy, including military, an essential role played and I. G. Farbenindustrie. Anyway, on the Nuremberg process accusations in war crimes also have been brought to a concern management. Fridriha Bayer's to child of it subsequently reminded time and again, and from communication discrediting it with nazism Bayer otmazyvalsja not one decade. To beat off it was valid from what: at the enterprises of concern during war more than thirds of workers were made by prisoners of war and the driven population of the occupied countries. In official corporate history Bayer it is specially underlined, that at the enterprises in Leverkusen and Elberfelde prisoners of concentration camps have not been occupied, but is held back other: in camps "doctors-murderers" I. G. Farbenindustrie tested new poisoning gases and medicines on live «an experimental material».

In April, 1945 Leverkusen was occupied with the British armies, and the concern property was confiscated by allies. But the British occupational command has reasonably saved the personnel and management "old" Bayer and in every possible way helped it to rise on feet: manufacture of medicines and household chemical goods in the Germany ruined by war was represented by emergency, but also, removed a problem of creation of workplaces. In 1951 the company has revived under the new name - Farbenfabriken Bayer AG.

The present form of name Bayer AG has appeared only in 1972 and should symbolise transformation of the company from German in the international.

To the middle 1970 Bayer it was possible to finish the assortment to 6000 names. In 1974 concern Bayer has got American company Cutter Laboratories, and four years later - manufacturer Alka-Seltzer company Miles Laboratories. In 1978 Bayer has returned to Russia, having opened the representation. Gradually Bayer it was possible to return to itself and many patents confiscated following the results of the First World War. In 1988 Bayer after a 70-year-old break again became the owner of the name "Aspirin", and also has returned itself rights of use of the name and emblem Bayer in the United States. To achieve it, the company had to buy the previous owner - New York corporation Sterling Drug.

In due course Bayer again became one of the largest chemical and pharmaceutical concerns of the world. The concern has transformed small town on Rhine Leverkusen into the powerful industrial centre, has created in him research and educational institutes, own football and hockey commands. Cross Bayer over Leverkusen became a symbol of success, pride and progress. Recent loud scandal round a preparation "bajkol-lipobaj" could not interrupt smooth and forward escalating of potential of the company even.

The preparation "bajkol-lipobaj", intended for struggle against the raised maintenance of cholesterol and containing active substance "tserivastatin", has appeared in the market in 1997 and till spring of 2001 any censures did not call. Moreover, "bajkol-lipobaj" entered into number of six most successful preparations leverkuzenskih pharmacists and in 2001 should bring to concern 1 mlrd euro. In a pharmaceutical industry of all Germany it took the third place on a turn and the first - on profit growth. From "bajkola" even legendary aspirin considerably lagged behind. At a preparation, the truth, was two features. First, it was required to supervise rigidly a dosage, secondly, it has been incompatible with other widespread medicine - "gemfibrozilom". About potentially deadly effect of interaction of these preparations was well-known, and the corresponding inscription testified to it on packing. The company even dispatched personal danger warnings of high doses to doctors. However these measures have not worked. After death of 50 persons in the world the company has been compelled to withdraw a preparation. On available data, cumulative damage Bayer has made not less than 800 million euro, the net profit was reduced in 2001 to 47 % to 965 million euro. Cost of actions for a year has decreased more than on 36 %, Bayer even has been compelled to remove temporarily the actions from the auctions at the New York stock exchange.

Nevertheless in the beginning of October, 2001 Bayer AG has finished acquisition of agrodivision of company Aventis which has managed to it in 7,25 mlrd the euro which most part has been received in the form of short-term credits. United with agrobusiness most Bayer the new structure under name Bayer CropScience became the second largest agrochemical and seed-growing company in the world after Syngenta. Association has allowed Bayer to concentrate under a uniform management commercial introduction of genetically changed plants across all Europe. In company hands it has appeared more than half of all genetically changed cultures waiting for the permission to commercial use in EU.

Today «Bayer» is a major concern, the assortment of products offered to which sale covers more than 10 thousand names - from medicines and diagnostic means to plastics, pesticides, films and systems of electronic processing of pictures.