Page 97 - 2020 NZ Hereford Magazine

Industry Focus

A history of

Boehringer

Ingelheim

WORDS KATE TAYLOR PHOTOGRAPHS SUPPLIED

BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM WAS FOUNDED IN 1885 by Albert
Boehringer in Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany.
After 135 years, Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the world’s
largest pharmaceutical companies – and the largest private one
– and is still wholly owned by the Boehringer family. The city of
Ingelheim is about twice the size of Gore (or the size of Levin)
and about a third of the town work for the company. for the past 60 years, with the old heritage products making
Boehringer Ingelheim is a global group of companies up a large part of our business but with the addition of part of
employing more than 50,000 people. As part of research and the Boehringer Ingelheim range, such as the swine vaccines,
development activities for innovative drugs, the company focuses NSAIDs, and other novel livestock treatments.”
primarily on the therapeutic areas of cardiovascular disease, David joined the company (when it was MSD AgVet) in 1993
respiratory diseases, diseases of the central nervous system, in Manawatu and Feilding, where he had previously worked for
metabolic diseases, virological diseases, and oncology. Wrightson. The regional manager at the time was John Gillies, who
Having started in the realm of human health, it expanded into had worked at the Masterton research farm where Ivermectin was
animal health in the US in the 1970s. Achieving many milestones trialled. Gillies was instrumental in setting up the original sponsorship
across the business, it became a market leader in animal health in with New Zealand Herefords (NZH) that is still going today. David
New Zealand in 2016. Regional business manager David Dodge took over from him in 1997 and remembers being introduced to
takes up the story two decades earlier. the NZH board at Hereford House on Kimbolton Road, including
“We started off originally as MSD AgVet. We launched in the Richard Barnett, father of current board member Philip Barnett.
early 60s with the first BZ drench called Thiabendazole; that was “I have been looking after our association with New Zealand
the first of the white drenches in New Zealand and was a real Herefords ever since,” David says.
breakthrough for New Zealand sheep farmers. It revolutionised “We’ve recently been involved with the youth side as well, but
control of internal parasites in sheep and was the start of the we have been the association’s animal health sponsor for the past
association with New Zealand farmers. Then in the early 80s, we 30 years at national bull sale level, Royal Show level in Hawke’s Bay
launched another action family, Ivermectin, that was another big and Canterbury, and getting involved in local sponsorships at local
breakthrough, this time for sheep and cattle.” breeder sales such as Maungahina, Mokairau and Wilencote on
In 1997, MSD Agvet changed to Merial under a joint venture
arrangement between America’s MSD and French company TOP: David Dodge started working for the company that eventually
morphed into Boehringer Ingelheim in the 1960s.
Sanofi. In 2012, Merial bought Ancare, and then in 2016, it was BELOW, LEFT TO RIGHT: Boehringer Ingelheim’s David Dodge
bought by Boehringer Ingelheim. discusses the weather with stud breeder Geof Brown on a Hereford
“Boehringer Ingelheim was big in swine and poultry vaccines herd tour in Southland in 2010; At the 2019 Royal Show hosted by
globally and didn’t have a big footprint in the livestock production the Hawke’s Bay A&P Society, left to right: Paul Fitzpatrick, senior
product manager Boehringer Ingelheim, World Hereford Conference
business. By 2017 it was one of the global leaders,” David says. Young Breeders competition organiser Rebecca Paterson, NZHA
“Our business in New Zealand remains the same as it has been manager Posy Moody, and David Dodge, Boehringer Ingelheim.

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