Boehringer Ingelheim in Australia and New Zealand

• 1957: Boehringer Ingelheim products appear on Australian shelves

  Boehringer Ingelheim products first appeared on the Australian market in early 1957 when a relationship was formed with Fauldings, who acted as an agent selling several of our products which are still available in the Australian marketplace today.

• 1964: Boehringer Ingelheim registers as a company in Australia

  On 1st April 1964, Boehringer Ingelheim officially registered as a company in Australia and established a Head Office in St Leonards, Sydney. Mr Barry Ramond held the post of Managing Director of the Australian business unit from 1964-1965.

• 1965: New Managing Director for Australia

  Mr Gordon Wing, at the time National Sales Manager of Boehringer Ingelheim United Kingdom, was appointed to take charge of the Australian operation. He would guide the company through the next 20 years of business.

  During the late 1960s, a regional office was established in Chatswood in Sydney. This was an administrative set-up for the coordination of the Australasian arms of the business and was independent of the Australian Head Office in St Leonards.

• 1966: Boehringer Ingelheim products appear on New Zealand shelves

  Boehringer Ingelheim products first appeared on the New Zealand market in 1966 when a relationship was formed with Satterthwaits, who acted as an agent for several products which are still available in the New Zealand marketplace today.

• 1971: Australian Head Office moves to Artarmon, Sydney

  Due to a steadily growing business and increasing staff numbers, Boehringer Ingelheim moved its Australian Head Office to a new building in Artarmon, Sydney.

• 1972: Boehringer Ingelheim Australia distributes products under own name

  An agreement between Boehringer Ingelheim and Ciba-Geigy made in 1966 was terminated. The first order, distributed for the first time under our own company name in Australia, was delivered to Sutherland Hospital in Sydney.

• 1970 - May 1972: Expansion of the Australian market

  Eight new major products were launched onto the Australian marketplace between 1970 and May 1972 - all products of Boehringer Ingelheim's original research and development. Staff numbers increased exponentially as sales responded to an influx of new and quality products.

• 1973: Boehringer Ingelheim registers as a company in New Zealand

  In October 1973, Boehringer Ingelheim officially registered as a company in New Zealand and established a Head Office in Auckland. The company grew rapidly, and by 1987 ranked second in the New Zealand pharmaceutical market.

• 1975-1976: Chemicals Division established in Australia

  A seperate Chemicals Division was established in the Boehringer Ingelheim Australian business unit.

• 1976: Boehringer Ingelheim purchase two Duboisia Farms in Queensland Australia

  300 acres of Duboisia plantations were bought by Boehringer Ingelheim in 1976 to create a stable supply of product to counter the high competition between independent exporters and better control the fluctuations in alkaloid content in the crop.

  A native Australian plant, the leaf of the Duboisia tree is harvested, dried, packaged and shipped to the Chemicals Division of Boehringer Ingelheim in Germany, where the scopolamine is extracted and used in the manufacture of different products.

• 1978: Vetmedica established in Australia

  1978 sees the founding of a new company, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH, from the former veterinary medicine department. This Division begins operating in Australia.

• 1982: Annual Respiratory Workshop launched in New Zealand

  In 1982, Boehringer Ingelheim launched the Annual Respiratory Workship which today is considered the premier respiratory meeting in New Zealand.

• 1982: Additional Duboisia Farm purchased in Queensland

  A property producing Duboisia at Haly Creek in Queensland Australia was purchased by Boehringer Ingelheim. This property has since become the company's principle farm and office of its entire Australian Duboisia farming operations.

• 1983: Commencement of selection trials at Duboisia Farms

  Duboisia selection trials commenced in conjunction with Boehringer Ingelheim DPL with the aim to continuously improve the chacteristics and drug content of Duboisia trees and enhance productivity.

• 1985: New Managing Director for Australia

  Mr Ian Mills, who began his careers as a Medical Representative and worked his way through to become Managing Director for Boehringer Ingelheim in New Zealand, was appointed to the post in Australia.
  

• 1986: Analytical laboratory established at Duboisia Farm

  In a significant step forward, a laboratory was established in Australia to carry out pre-harvest analysis of Duboisia leaf samples. This enabled Boehringer Ingelheim to harvest our Duboisia crops when drug content was peaking.

• 1989 - 1990: Improvements in Duboisia plants and expansion of properties

  In 1989, new high-yielding clones were developed and carefully chosen through selection trials. These were planted throughout Boehringer Ingelheim's Duboisia properties.

  At the same time, additional land was purchased by the Company in 1990 alongside existing plantations at Haly Creek and Murgon in Queensland.
  

• 1992: New Managing Director for Australia

  Mr Michael Richter took over the post of Managing Director and held the position from 1992 - 1998.

• 1993: Consumer Health Division launched as a seperate unit

  Initially operating under the broader umbrella, Consumer Health Care was launched as a seperate operating unit which resulted in great success for the company in marketing over-the-counter products.

• 1997: Additional Duboisia Farm purchased in Queensland

  A property at Manneum in Queensland was purchased by Boehringer Ingelheim to plant Duboisia crops.

• 1997: Sales milestone reached - $100 million

  1997 was the first year Boehringer Ingelheim Australia and New Zealand exceeded AUD$100 million in net sales, a major milestone for the Company.

• 1998: New Managing Director to oversee merger of Australian and New Zealand operations

  Mr John Barnes held the position of Managing Director from 1998 - 2004. During this time he was responsible for overseeing the official merging of the Australian and New Zealand business units.

• 1999: Australian Head Office moves to North Ryde

  Due to the exponential growth of the company, with a significantly sharp rise in staff over the next four years, the Australian Head Office was relocated to North Ryde in Sydney.

• 2000: Boehringer Ingelheim's Australian and New Zealand business units merge

  In 1999, it was decided to centralise the management for Australia and New Zealand. With the retirememt of the New Zealand Managing Director, Mr David Ojerholm, in 1999, Mr John Barnes took over as Managing Director for both Australia and New Zealand.

   

• 2003 - 2005: Business in New Zealand expands

  With the launch of a major respiratory prescription medicine product, Boehringer Ingelheim enjoyed huge success with the company growing significantly in New Zealand during this period.

• 2004: New Managing Director

  In 2004, Mr John Dixon took on the role of Managing Director - Australia and New Zealand having previously held the position of Head of Respiratory Marketing in Ingelheim, Germany where he was responsible for the global launch of a major respiratory product. Prior to that, Mr Dixon was the Head of Marketing and Sales in the United Kingdom where he was in charge of the GP, Hospital and Irish businesses.

• 2004: Sales milestone reached - $200 million

  2004 was the first year Boehringer Ingelheim Australia and New Zealand exceeded AUD$200 million in net sales, a major milestone for the company.

• 2005 - Today: Rapid rise in Scopolamine content in Duboisia trees

  With Boehringer Ingelheim's extensive plant breeding programme carried out in Ingelheim and selection trials conducted in Australia, the Scopolamine content of our Duboisia trees has been steadily increasing.

• 2009: Australian Head Office relocates in North Ryde, Sydney

  Due to a steadily growing business and increasing staff numbers, Boehringer Ingelheim again moved its Australian Head Office to a new building in North Ryde, Sydney where we remain located today.

• 2009: Animal Health expansion

  Globally, Boehringer Ingelheim acquired the Fort Dodge Animal Health Business. For Australia, this meant the acquisition of three innovative market-leading vaccines for companion animals. This significantly strengthened the position of the company as an animal health leader in Australia and globally.

• 2009: Sales milestone reached - $300 million

  2009 was the first year Boehringer Ingelheim Australia and New Zealand exceeded AUD$300 million in net sales, a major milestone for the company.

• Today: Still growing

  Today, Boehringer Ingelheim employs around 350 staff across Australia and New Zealand and has Head Office locations in both Sydney and Auckland. Now a leading global pharmaceutical company, Boehringer Ingelheim continues to build on its success of researching, developing and marketing innovative therapeutic products.