Menarini was established more than 125 years ago (1886) in a small laboratory in Naples, Italy. In 1915, the laboratories were transferred to Florence, where the Menarini head office is still located.
From the 1960s, Menarini already understood the importance of expanding its horizons beyond national borders. Actually, the plant of Laboratorios Menarini in Barcelona dates from this period. When Dr. Alberto Aleotti was appointed to the head of Menarini in 1964, it had 188 employees and ranked 352nd in the ranking of European pharmaceutical companies. The 1970s were characterized by the strengthening of Menarini's position in Italy. This could be consolidated in the following decade thanks to numerous agreements with other important Italian pharmaceutical companies. It is under the aegis of Dr. Aleotti that Menarini has succeeded in developing his various strategies. Dr. Aleotti passed away in 2014. His daughter Lucia and his son Alberto Giovanni took then over as President and Vice President of the Menarini Group. The Menarini Group, led by the Aleotti family, decided in March 2018 to entrust as early as June the Chaimanship of the company to an external manager coming from another large multinational, Dr. Eric Cornut.
MENARINI PHARMA IN BENELUX: A story of more than 30 years
The eighties can be seen as a turning point in the international investment policy of the Menarini Group which was called the ‘Toscan Flower’ at that time.
Stimulated by Dr. Aleotti, the elaboration of the investment plan of Menarini started in 1983, in the capital of Europe, through the creation of the subsidiary Menarini Benelux in Brussels. At that time it was only the second subsidiary after Spain.
The development of the pharmaceutical activities of Menarini Benelux N.V./S.A. started in September 1987. At that time, the pharma team consisted of 15 employees including 9 medical representatives. We are now about 160 employees in Belgium and 20 in the Netherlands.
The activities of Menarini Benelux are focused on several markets: cardiology, allergy, gastroenterology, rheumatology, diabetology and pediatry.
Our company has been awarded many times, the ‘Gazellen Prize‘, organized by the economic magazine TRENDS which rewards the best performing companies in the Flemish region. We are really proud to belong to this select club which includes also large companies such as Microsoft, Novartis and Toyota.
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