COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 339113

Adhesive Tape, Medical, Manufacturing

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

30companies1882–1999founding years30still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedBeiersdorf AG
1882
FoundedJohnson & Johnson
1887
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedMine Safety Appliances Company
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedAnsell Ltd.
1920
FoundedTerumo Corporation
1921
FoundedZimmer Holdings, Inc.
1927
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
FoundedStryker Corporation
1946
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedSANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
1950
FoundedTapemark Company Inc.
1952
FoundedChristian Dalloz SAFoundedSpacelabs Medical, Inc.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedAlba-Waldensian, Inc.
1961
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedDatascope CorporationFoundedUnited States Surgical Corporation
1964
FoundedInvacare Corporation
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedTutogen Medical, Inc.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedMerit Medical Systems, Inc.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
FoundedYoung Innovations, Inc.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Beiersdorf AG →
Active · founded 1882 · Germany
Beiersdorf AG is an international company based in Hamburg, Germany, that develops, manufactures and distributes…
Johnson & Johnson →
Active · founded 1887
One of America's most admired companies, Johnson & Johnson (J & J) is one of the largest healthcare firms in the world…
Becton, Dickinson & Company →
Active · founded 1906
Becton, Dickinson & Company manufactures and markets medical supplies and devices and diagnostic systems for use by…
Mine Safety Appliances Company →
Active · founded 1914
Mine Safety Appliances Company (MSA) is one of the world's largest designers and manufacturers of equipment that…
Teijin Limited →
Active · founded 1918 · Japan
Teijin Limited is one of the leading Japanese manufacturers of synthetic fibers, with fibers and textiles accounting…
Ansell Ltd. →
Active · founded 1920 · Australia
Ansell Ltd.
Terumo Corporation →
Active · founded 1921 · Japan
Based in Tokyo, Terumo Corporation is Japan's largest manufacturer of medical supplies.
C.R. Bard, Inc. →
Active · founded 1923
C.R.
Zimmer Holdings, Inc. →
Active · founded 1927
Zimmer Holdings, Inc.
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. →
Active · founded 1944 · Israel
With more than one-third of the nation's drug sales, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.
Stryker Corporation →
Active · founded 1946
Stryker Corporation develops and manufactures specialty surgical and medical products for health care markets around…
SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. →
Active · founded 1950 · Japan
SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
Wright Medical Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1950
Wright Medical Group, Inc.
Tapemark Company Inc. →
Active · founded 1952
Tapemark Company Inc.
Medtronic, Inc. →
Active · founded 1957
Medtronic, Inc.
Christian Dalloz SA →
Active · founded 1958 · France
Christian Dalloz SA is one of the world's leading manufacturers of protective equipment for the work environment.
Spacelabs Medical, Inc. →
Active · founded 1958
Spacelabs Medical, Inc., wholly owned by OSI Systems, Inc., is a leading global provider of patient monitoring systems…
The Cooper Companies, Inc. →
Active · founded 1958
The Cooper Companies, Inc.
Alba-Waldensian, Inc. →
Active · founded 1961
Located in Valdese, North Carolina, Alba-Waldensian, Inc.
Tyco International Ltd. →
Active · founded 1962 · Bermuda
Tyco International Ltd.
Datascope Corporation →
Active · founded 1964
Datascope Corporation is a leading maker of medical devices for cardiac patients.
United States Surgical Corporation →
Active · founded 1964
United States Surgical Corporation (USSC) is a leading producer of tools for use in surgery, including staplers,…
Medline Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1966
Based in Mundelein, Illinois, Medline Industries, Inc.
Invacare Corporation →
Active · founded 1971
Invacare Corporation is a world leading maker and distributor of non-acute healthcare products for people requiring…
Lakeland Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1982
Lakeland Industries, Inc.
Tutogen Medical, Inc. →
Active · founded 1984
Based in West Paterson, New Jersey, Tutogen Medical, Inc., is a publicly traded company that makes bio-implants and…
Merit Medical Systems, Inc. →
Active · founded 1987
Merit Medical Systems, Inc.
COBE Cardiovascular, Inc. →
Active · founded 1990
COBE Cardiovascular, Inc.
Young Innovations, Inc. →
Active · founded 1995
Young Innovations, Inc., based in Earth City, Missouri, was organized and incorporated in 1995 as the parent company…
SSL International plc →
Active · founded 1999 · United Kingdom
SSL International plc is one of the United Kingdom's major healthcare companies.
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