Kwizda (company)
| Kwizda Holding GmbH
|
|
|---|---|
_logo.svg){kind=logo} |
|
| legal form | GmbH |
| founding | 1853 |
| Seat | Vienna , Austria |
| management |
|
| Number of employees | 1,200 (as of 2015) |
| sales | € 856 million (as of 2015) |
| Branch | Pharmacy , human medicine , animal health , plant protection , roofing and sealing systems |
| Website | kwizda.at |
| Status: 2015 | |
The Kwizda group of companies is an Austrian company with headquarters in Vienna and comprises the three business areas of health (pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical distribution, pharmaceutical trade and pharmacy service), plant protection (agro) and sealing systems (roofing and sealing systems from Büsscher & Hoffmann). In 2015, Kwizda achieved sales of 856 million euros and employs over 1,200 people. The company was founded in 1853 by Franz Johann Kwizda von Hochstern , who was appointed supplier to the court for veterinary products.
history
In 1853, Franz Johann Kwizda took over the Korneuburg district pharmacy and at the same time founded the first company for the production of veterinary preparations. He became a leader in his field and was ultimately appointed purveyor to the court. As a pharmacist and veterinarian, Julius Kwizda von Hochstern followed his father in the company management in 1888 and continued building up pharmaceutical production. Under his leadership, the preparations with the snake sign received the Grand Prix at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900 .
Richard Kwizda took over the company in the third generation in 1924 and expanded it further by founding the Agricultural Chemicals Division (1926) and the pharmaceutical wholesaling (1934). He also developed the cosmetics sector in the company and the drugstore branch network.
In 1942 Gut Sonnhof was acquired and expanded to become an experimental farm. In 1955 there was a further expansion of the drugstore branch network.
With the acquisition of Büsscher & Hoffmann , an Austrian company that deals with the development and production of polymer bitumen roofing and waterproofing membranes, another business area is opened up in 1959. In 1968 Hormosan-Kwizda was founded in Frankfurt / Main.
In 1978 Richard P. Kwizda and Johann F. Kwizda took over the management. Shortly afterwards, the production facilities of Kwizda Agro in Leobendorf (1982) and that of Kwizda Pharma in Vienna (1983) are put into operation. The merger of the Viennese trading companies in the newly established pharmaceutical wholesaling in Vienna and the Salzburg trading companies in the new pharmaceutical trade in Grödig takes place in 1987.
The business activities expand in Europe through the establishment of own companies in Germany, Hungary and the Czech Republic (1994) as well as France (1995) and Italy (1998).
2001 until today
The business areas of Kwizda Agro and Kwizda Pharma have been expanding in recent history through acquisitions and the construction of new production facilities. In the area of agrochemicals, this took place through the commissioning of the new production facility of Vikem-Kwizda in Val d'Ize (2004), the takeover of Sarea Saatguttechnik (2000) and Agrovet Trade in Romania (2007), the acquisition of Laboratoires Mures Réunis ( 2009) and the founding of Kwizda Espana (2010). The pharmaceutical division is expanded through the acquisition of Mayrhofer Pharmazeutika (2009) and Metochem Pharma GmbH (2007).
In 2005 the new pharmaceutical center in Linz and in 2010 the pharmaceutical distribution center in Leopoldsdorf near Vienna went into operation. Further expansions and expansions of locations took place in 2015/16: the expansion of the Kwizda pharmaceutical distribution in Leopoldsdorf near Vienna, the expansion of the Kwizda Agro-Werk Leobendorf and the conversion and expansion of the Kwizda Pharma production site in Vienna-Ottakring.
Company profile
Kwizda has been a family-run company since 1853, which comprises the divisions of pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical distribution, pharmaceutical trade, cosmetics, agro and roofing and sealing systems (Büsscher & Hoffmann). Kwizda assumes a leading position in the Austrian market in many business areas and is active in numerous European countries.
The Kwizda Group currently employs around 1,200 people. Kwizda is an Austrian family company with a total of 24 branches (including four production sites) in the European Union.
The Kwizda group of companies achieved sales of 453 million euros in 2002, mostly with well-known over-the-counter drugs. The number of employees was around 920. In 2003 the turnover was 666 million euros and the number of employees was 1,111. In 2011, sales were EUR 800 million and the number of employees was 1,034. The group of companies is headed by Richard Peter Kwizda, Johann Franz Kwizda, Richard A. Kwizda and Johannes E. Kwizda
Kwizda Pharma
Kwizda Pharma develops, manufactures and sells prescription and non-prescription drugs. The products are sold in Austria and other European countries.
Kwizda pharmaceutical distribution
Kwizda Pharmaceutical Distribution provides logistics services for the national and international pharmaceutical industry.
Kwizda pharmaceutical trade
Kwizda Pharmahandel is the second largest pharmaceutical wholesaler active on the Austrian market with locations in Vienna, Linz, Graz, Innsbruck and Grödig.
Kwizda cosmetics
Kwizda Cosmetics is the general representative for skin care lines and decorative cosmetics in Austria. The managed product lines are sold through drugstore chains, perfumeries, cosmetic institutes, wellness hotels and pharmacies.
Kwizda Agro
Kwizda Agro GmbH is a supplier of plant protection products and special fertilizers in Austria. The focus is on both sales and the development of modern products in terms of integrated pest management. The head office is in Vienna, there are sales locations for crop protection in Austria, Hungary and Romania, and for the biocides sector also in France, Germany, Italy and Spain.
Others
After an incident at the Leobendorf plant in 2010, groundwater contamination with active pesticides was found. See article Kwizda Agro .
AGES reports classified the groundwater as harmless or another report from the Vienna University of Applied Sciences sees indications of a health risk. In the course of remedial measures, which will probably take decades and cost millions, contaminated groundwater is discharged into the Danube , partly unfiltered, by order of the district administration . The environmental protection organization Global 2000 suspected omissions and filed a complaint.
Büsscher & Hoffmann
Büsscher & Hoffmann is Austria's leading manufacturer of bitumen and polymer bitumen sheeting for the protection of flat, green and pitched roofs, as well as bridge and building waterproofing against weather and environmental influences.
In addition to the home market of Austria with branches in Korneuburg, Vienna South, Lannach and Stans, exports are made to the countries of the European Union.
Subsidiaries were founded in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia and Poland.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b data from 2012 ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Imprint. Kwizda, archived from the original on March 20, 2012 ; Retrieved October 5, 2012 .
- ↑ Kwizda becomes Austria's largest OTC provider | Chemical report. Retrieved February 20, 2017 .
- ↑ About us. Kwizda September 30, 2009; archived from the original on March 20, 2012 ; Retrieved September 30, 2009 .
- ↑ Metochemübernahme by Kwizda. Retrieved February 12, 2013 .
- ↑ Kwizda is building in Leopoldsdorf. Leopoldsdorf municipality, accessed on November 15, 2010 .
- ↑ The Kwizda Group. Kwizda, September 30, 2009; archived from the original on May 20, 2012 ; Retrieved September 30, 2009 .
- ↑ Kwizda OTC Products, Overview. (No longer available online.) Kwizda, archived from the original on November 26, 2010 ; Retrieved November 15, 2010 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Monika Heinrich: 150 years of Kwizda. In: ÖAZ Aktuell. Österreichische Apotheker-Verlagsges.mbH, 2003, archived from the original on September 20, 2007 ; Retrieved September 30, 2009 .
- ↑ Kwizda issues water pollution to orf.at; Korneuburg groundwater: Kwizda sees itself as the originator derstandard.at
- ↑ New study: Korneuburg groundwater is unhealthy diepresse.com; City municipality contests expert opinion at wienerzeitung.at; Study on Korneuburg: Pesticides in groundwater are harmful to health derstandard.at
- ↑ Protests: Contaminated groundwater in the Danube initiated derstandard.at; Kwizda: 60 kg of pesticide left in the water orf.at, accessed on March 15, 2013
- ↑ GLOBAL 2000 reveals: Korneuburg groundwater massively polluted with pesticides ( Memento of the original from November 6, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. global2000.at; Environmentalists again show the authorities to kurier.at, accessed on March 15, 2013
Web links
- Entry on Kwizda (company) in the Austria Forum (in the AEIOU Austria Lexicon )
- Kwizda website