Bayer Corporation

Summary

Bayer Corporation (also known as Bayer USA) is the American subsidiary of Bayer AG. Its main offices are located in Whippany, New Jersey. In addition it has 40 fully consolidated subsidiary companies[3] located in 19 different states.[4]

Bayer Corporation
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryPharmaceuticals, Agricultural Chemicals,
Founded1954; 70 years ago (1954)
FounderWerner Baumann
Headquarters,
Area served
Nationwide
Key people
Philip Blake
Senior Bayer Representative USA[2]
Productsprescription medications
over the counter drugs
nutritional supplements
diagnostic products
animal health products
crop protection products
RevenueIncrease$17.0 billion USD (€15.1 billion)
(2019) [3]
Number of employees
20,735 (2019)[3]
ParentBayer
SubsidiariesBayer Animation
Websitewww.bayerus.com

History edit

Bayer AG began marketing in the United States soon after the company's inception in Germany. In the late 1800s, they began to sell their trademark medication, aspirin. While the name "aspirin" became synonymous with Bayer for over a quarter of a century, the company's patents and trademarks were seized by the United States Office of Alien Property Custodian in 1917, due to Germany's enemy status in World War I. These assets were later auctioned and sold to Sterling Drug.

Mobay edit

In 1954, Bayer AG and Monsanto reached an agreement for establishment of a joint venture that was to be called Mobay. Initially established in St. Louis, Mobay established its headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1958, moving to a location in Robinson Township in 1960.[5] A polyurethanes manufacturing site in New Martinsville, West Virginia began operation in 1955.[6]: 440 

In 1964 the United States Department of Justice brought antitrust action against Mobay, resulting in Bayer AG reaching an agreement to purchase Monsanto's share of the company in 1967.[6]: 440–441  In October 1971 Mobay, along with five other Bayer-owned chemical-related subsidiaries in the United States, merged into a single company called Baychem Chemical Company and headquartered in New York City. By 1974 the company relocated to Pittsburgh under the name Mobay Chemical Company.[5]: 24 [6]: 487  In that same decade two additional United States companies were acquired and merged into Mobay: Cutter Laboratories in 1974 and Miles Laboratories in 1978.[6]: 489 

In 1992 Bayer consolidated its United States operations under the name Miles, and the Mobay name was discontinued.[7]

In 1994, Bayer reacquired full rights to all former Bayer products[8] after they purchased the Winthrop division of over-the-counter drugs from GlaxoSmithKline, and the Miles name was discontinued.

In 2012, Bayer relocated the top United States administrative head to the Bayer HealthCare site in Whippany. In 2019, Bayer announced the end of it operations at its Pittsburgh site.[9] Later that year Bayer agreed to sell its Pittsburgh facilities to Covestro.[10]

Bayer MaterialScience divestiture edit

On September 18, 2014, the Board of Directors of Bayer AG announced plans to float the Bayer MaterialScience business on the stock market as a separate entity.[11] This transaction was completed in the fall of 2015 with the establishment of Covestro AG.[12]

Products edit

Noted over-the-counter Bayer products include Aleve, Bayer Aspirin, Alka-Seltzer, Phillip's Laxatives, Bactine, One-A-Day Vitamins, Flintstone Vitamins, and Midol. The company also markets prescription medications, animal medications, and diagnostic and medical testing equipment. Aside from the medical arm of the company, Bayer also creates many different chemicals and agricultural products.

Lawsuit and Settlement edit

In 2018, Bayer purchased the American agricultural product producer Monsanto Co.[13] With the purchase, Bayer also took on litigation against its weedkiller product, Roundup, which was subject to thousands of lawsuits, representing nearly 100,000 people,[14] claiming the product caused their cancer.[15] While Bayer denied wrongdoing, it did reach a 2020 settlement of $10 billion to eliminate uncertainty and resolve outstanding claims.[16]

Subsidiaries edit

Philanthropic activities edit

In 1953, Bayer Corporation founded the first of three foundations that were later merged into the Bayer USA Foundation to support philanthropic giving in the United States.[17][18] Foundation grants focus on education and workforce development, and environment and sustainability.

Making Science Make Sense (MSMS) is a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) social responsibility program to provide hands-on, inquiry-based educational opportunities in the United States.[18] The program focuses on promoting science and scientific principles to students in grades K-20. Astronaut Mae Jemison is the national spokesperson for MSMS.[19]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Bayer Corporation Contact Us page on [http://www.bayer.us bayer.us
  2. ^ "About Bayer in the US". Archived from the original on 11 April 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  3. ^ a b c "Bayer: North America". Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  4. ^ "Our Communities". Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  5. ^ a b Bayer 50 Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh, PA: Bayer Corporate Communications. September 2008. p. 11.
  6. ^ a b c d Verg, Erik (1988). The Bayer Story. Milestones 1863-1988. Leverkusen, Germany: Bayer AG. p. 440. ISBN 3-921349-48-6.
  7. ^ REISCH, MARC (1991-09-30). "Bayer reorganizes U.S. operations as Miles Inc". Chemical & Engineering News Archive. 69 (39): 7. doi:10.1021/cen-v069n039.p007. ISSN 0009-2347.
  8. ^ SEC. "Bayer Aktiengesellschaft Registration of securities 20FR12B/A". SEC.report. Retrieved 2020-08-19.
  9. ^ "Bayer to close its Robinson site, impact 600 employees". www.post-gazette.com. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  10. ^ "Covestro to buy former Bayer headquarters site, as Bayer cuts Pittsburgh presence". www.post-gazette.com. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  11. ^ "Bayer to Spin Off Plastics Group to Focus on Health Care". New York Times. September 18, 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  12. ^ Sheenagh Matthews and Alex Webb for Bloomberg News. October 6, 2015 Covestro Jumps on First Day of Trading in Frankfurt After IPO
  13. ^ Chappell, Bill (24 June 2020). "Bayer To Pay More Than $10 Billion To Resolve Cancer Lawsuits Over Weedkiller Roundup". NPR.org. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
  14. ^ "Bayer to pay up to $10.9 billion to settle bulk of Roundup weedkiller cancer lawsuits". Reuters. 2020-06-24. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
  15. ^ "Bayer to pay $10.9bn to settle weedkiller cases". BBC News. 2020-06-25. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
  16. ^ Randazzo, Ruth Bender, Laura Kusisto and Sara (2020-06-24). "Bayer to Pay Up to $10.9 Billion to Settle Lawsuits Over Roundup Weedkiller". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2020-06-25.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  17. ^ About the Bayer USA Foundation: http://www.bayerus.com/Foundation/history.aspx Archived 2012-04-19 at the Wayback Machine
  18. ^ a b Newsroom Community Outreach: "Community Outreach - Bayer Online Pressroom". Archived from the original on 2012-04-18. Retrieved 2012-04-16.
  19. ^ "Meet Our National Spokesperson". Archived from the original on 16 May 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2014.

External links edit

  • Official website
  • Bayer USA Foundation
  • 2008 USA Today Q&A with CEO Greg Babe