Buckman Laboratories
1. DISCUSS THE HISTORY OF THE COMPANY IN THE CASE
Founded in 1945 by Dr. Stanley Buckman
Buckman started the company in Memphis, Tennessee, with five employees in a small building located on land that was once a lumberyard.
Offices and laboratories were located on the first floor of the building, and a 50-gallon black iron chemical reactor and a steam boiler were placed in the basement.
The 50-gallon black iron chemical reactor was sufficient to supply the initial order for 20 gallons of a microbicide, trade name BSM-11, to the company's first customer Whiting Paper Company.
Three years later, BSM-11 and its derivatives had become the industry standard for microorganism control.
Soon a new production facility was built next door and Buckman Laboratories of Canada was formed.
During the 1950s, the company's customer base expanded to include the leather, paint, sugar processing, agriculture, paint, coatings and plastics industries.
During the 1960s, new manufacturing and sales companies were formed in Mexico and Belgium.
The expansion during the 1970s followed with the opening of sales and manufacturing companies in South Africa and Brazil and a sales company in Australia.
New products were introduced for water treatment, ranging from swimming pools to fresh water, and a new international headquarters housing all corporate activities, including Research and Development, were built in Memphis.
In 1978, Dr. Stanley Buckman died of a heart attack in his office
His son, Robert (Bob), became the new chairman and CEO.
In 1945, Buckman Laboratories started with one product, a 50-gallon process vessel and four employees in a small house in Memphis, Tennessee. Today, Buckman is a global business producing over 500 different products and employing over 1,300...
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