Perrigo

Perrigo is a leading global health-care supplier and the world's largest manufacturer of over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceutical and nutritional products for the store-brand market. Perrigo also develops and manufactures generic prescription (Rx) drugs, active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and consumer products for the Israeli market.

Consumer Health Care: The Consumer Health Care operation includes the company's U.S., U.K. and Mexico manufacturing operations supporting the sale of OTC pharmaceutical and nutritional products. The store-brand products contain the same active ingredients as the advertised brands for less cost to the consumer. With store brands, each retailer sells products under its store or another chosen brand name.

Perrigo offers a broad line of high-quality products comparable in quality to major brands such as Tylenol, Advil or One-A-Day. For example, Tylenol has acetaminophen as an active ingredient and is available in stores' analgesic (pain reliever) aisle. Store-brand acetaminophen is located next to the national brand, offering the same active ingredient (acetaminophen) and the same pain relief.

Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API): Primarily through its Chemagis business, Perrigo develops, manufactures and markets the complex chemicals and active pharmaceutical ingredients used worldwide by the generic drug industry. Some of these ingredients are also used in Perrigo's own pharmaceutical products.  We manufacture API at facilities in Israel, Germany and China.

Prescription Pharmaceuticals: The Rx Pharmaceuticals business is focused on the development, manufacture and sale of generic prescription drug products, primarily for the U.S. market. Manufacturing operations are based in the U.S. and Israel. The company's first solid-dose oral drug products were approved in 2004. With the 2005 acquisition of Agis Industries, the company expanded its generic drug platform to include the addition of Agis' topical generic drug product line.

Consumer Pharmaceutical and Medical Diagnostic Products: These businesses serve primarily the Israeli market. Consumer Products consists of a broad range of household products, including cosmetics, toiletries, detergents and bar soaps sold under the Careline, Neca and Natural Formula brand names. The Pharmaceutical and Medical Diagnostic Products businesses also market and manufacture branded prescription drugs under licenses. Other pharmaceutical and medical diagnostics products are imported to Israel through exclusive agreements.

The company combined employs 6,000 people worldwide, with manufacturing and logistics facilities in the United States, Israel, United Kingdom, Mexico, Germany and China.

History

In 1887 Luther Perrigo, the proprietor of a general store and apple-drying business, had the idea to package and distribute patented medicines and household items for country stores. Located in Allegan, MI, the L. Perrigo Company enjoyed steady growth, and by the early 1920s as many as 50 Perrigo salesmen were calling on rural stores throughout the Midwest. The company then developed the "private label" concept as a way to build customer loyalty. For no additional cost, Perrigo offered to imprint the individual store's name on the labels for epsom salts, sweet oil, bay rum and dozens of other "wets and drys" stocked in general stores of that era.

In the mid-1930s, Perrigo landed its first, large private-label customer, the K & W group, a buying organization that grew into the People's Drug Store chain. At about the same time, Perrigo began its manufacturing operation, laying a strong foundation for rapid future growth.

Over the past 25 years national and regional supermarket, drug store and mass merchandise retail chains experienced tremendous growth. As retailers grew, so did their presence in the store-brand arena, as they strove to build customer loyalty with products sold under their own company labels, just as Luther Perrigo surmised they would. Perrigo grew as well, acquiring several businesses throughout the world to augment its position in the store-brand industry.

The company expanded its product portfolio to include generic prescription pharmaceuticals, creating a more diversified health-care company. To expedite the growth of the generics business, in March 2005 Perrigo acquired Agis Industries, adding their products, pipeline and proprietary technologies to its consumer health-care business.

Updated August 23, 2007