Archimedes is a name that, since our childhood days, evokes genius. It is not surprising, then, that Archimede Menarini lived up to this reputation by inventing nothing less than the international pharmacy, a revolutionary and winning idea on which the Menarini Group, a global Made in Italy excellence, is founded today!
The beginnings: from Bologna to Florence via Naples
It all began in 1886, 25 years after the unification of Italy, when the visionary Dr Archimede Menarini from Bologna opened the Farmacia Internazionale Menarini in the centre of Naples, a galenic laboratory selling preparations (restoratives, digestives, etc.) made with international formulas and products and immediately recognisable packaging.
In 1915, at the height of the First World War, Menarini moved its operations to Florence, where the group’s headquarters are still located and where it personally designed the factory. The location of Campo di Marte was considered strategic due to its proximity to the railway and the Tuscan capital due to its proximity to Empoli, then famous for producing glass vials.
The 1960s and internationalisation
But the transformation from a family company to an international giant began in 1964, when Alberto Sergio Aleotti, born in 1923, arrived at the helm of Menarini. From General Manager, he became a partner and then sole owner. Under his leadership, the company’s internationalisation process also began with the opening of the Laboratorios Menarini in Barcelona in 1964. He also fought for legalizing the patenting of drugs in Italy, a battle he won in 1978. The company opened its research and development division in the same year, and Aleotti was made a Cavaliere del Lavoro by Sandro Pertini.
Celebrations for the100th anniversary in Florence
The following decades were characterised by a continuous expansion of the company through acquisitions and joint ventures in Italy and abroad. Its bond with the Florentine territory remains strong, however. In 2015, for the celebrations of its 100th anniversary in Florence, Menarini launched a series of initiatives dedicated to the city and art, starting with a book devoted to Pontorno and ending with the renovation of ten social housing units.
Over the years, the company’s divisions grew, and Menarini Ricerche, Menarini Biotech and Menarini Diagnostic were created. Today, Menarini is headquartered in Florence, has 15 production plants, has a presence in 140 countries, employs around 18,000 people, and has a turnover of billions of Euros. Thanks to this company, Italian pharmaceutical production is the first in Europe and is worth 1.8 per cent of GDP, or around 33 billion euros.
Congratulations to those who invest and do research in Italy!
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