Smith Kline and French Laboratories

The British arm of an American company, of 120 Coldharbour Lane, London, S.E.5. Manufacturer of medical and veterinary specialities.

Also at Old Powder Mills, Hawden, near Tonbridge, Kent (1959)

1830 John K. Smith opened a drugstore in Philadelphia

1841 His younger brother, George, joined him to form John K Smith & Co. Later became Smith and Shoemaker

1844 French, Richards and Company was founded by Clayton French and William Richards

1865 Mahlon Kline joined Smith and Shoemaker, as a bookkeeper.

1875 Mahlon K Smith and Company, was renamed as Smith, Kline and Company.

1891 Smith, Kline and Company acquired French, Richards and Company, which provided the company with a greater portfolio of consumer brands.

1929 Smith, Kline and French Company was renamed into Smith Kline and French Laboratories and the company put more focus on research in order to sustain its business.

1956 Acquired A. J. White, a company they had been associated with for 30 years

1968 The company acquired Recherche et Industrie Thérapeutiques in Belgium and changed its name in SmithKline-RIT.

1982 SmithKline acquired Allergan, an eye and skincare business, and merged with Beckman Instruments, Inc., a company specialising in diagnostics and measurement instruments and supplies. After the merger the company was renamed SmithKline Beckman.

1989 The Beecham Group plc and SmithKline Beckman merged to form SmithKline Beecham plc.

See Also

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Sources of Information

• Wikipedia