In 1885, Albert Boehringer – aged just 24 – set up a small company in Ingelheim, Germany, with 28 employees, making tartaric acid for the food industry. A decade later, he broke new ground by using biotechnology to produce lactic acid in industrial quantities. This, in turn, funded the expansion into alkaloid extraction for the pharmaceutical industry, the move into independent pharmaceutical production – and the foundations of the company we know today.
Almost 140 years later, Boehringer Ingelheim has grown vastly. Those 28 employees have become a diverse community of over 53,000: the small tartaric acid factory by the Rhine has become a leading global company serving over 130 markets in human pharma, animal health, and biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing.
Our range includes some of the most innovative and effective human and animal treatments available, making lives better for millions; our contract manufacturing division is a prized partner for pharmaceutical manufacturers of all sizes.
And our record of innovation continues, from pharmaceutical research collaborations to extensive social enterprise projects to investment in the potential of quantum computing.
Some things, however, have not changed. We’re still an independent, family-owned company. We still prize continuity and stability. We still understand that we are only as good as our people. So, we continue to look after them. Albert Boehringer knew that which is why he offered his employees health insurance, paid leave, a company pension scheme, and subsidized housing.
Above all, we stand by our goal: to turn patient-focused innovations into treatments that transform lives for both humans and animals – sustainably and for generations to come. That, too, is a legacy of Albert Boehringer – and while our eyes are on the future, we can look back with pride at our past.
Read more about our history here.