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In 1924, 100 years ago, Johnson & Johnson first established operations in the UK. Over the past century, generations of our employees have worked tirelessly to develop innovative treatments and technologies for patients in need. From a team of just 100 employees in our first office in Slough, Berkshire, to seven sites across the UK with a workforce of more than 3000; we are proud of our long heritage as a key site of innovation and growth for Johnson & Johnson.
First Johnson & Johnson building, Slough, England, 1924 with members of management from the U.S. and U.K.
Image courtesy: Johnson & Johnson Archives.Robert Wood Johnson II, a member of the Company’s founding family, recognised that in order to bring better health within reach for all, local teams would be needed to serve local needs. In a move that would change the course of Johnson & Johnson forever, he opened the first overseas operating company outside of North America.
Over time, our relationship with the UK health system has evolved from wartime support to enduring partnership. We have proudly partnered with the National Health Service (NHS) since its founding in 1948, and its healthcare leaders, clinicians and patients to solve some of the UK’s toughest health challenges.
Johnson & Johnson is a Company that has never, and will never lose sight of the people it serves. We remain rooted in Our Credo, our first responsibility will always be to the patients, doctors, nurses and families that rely on us.
After a century of growth in the UK and globally, the Company is entering a new era, updating its brand and uniting both its pharmaceutical and medtech segments under the Johnson & Johnson brand name. With an exclusive focus on healthcare, we will leverage our expertise in innovative medicine and medical technology to prevent and treat complex diseases and introduce solutions that are smarter, less invasive and more personalised.
Our Heritage
From past to present: the evolution of Johnson & Johnson's 100-year legacy of care and innovation in the UK
Pre-1924Sir Joseph Lister
The inspiration for the founding of Johnson & Johnson (J&J) was renowned English surgeon Sir Joseph Lister, the father of modern antiseptic surgery.
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1924Slough, UK
J&J opens its first operating company in the UK, in Slough, with fewer than 100 employees.
Read More- 1927
New Suture Manufacturing Site
A colleague in charge of the suturing department in New Brunswick, travelled across the Atlantic to Slough to set up the Company's new suture manufacturing site. Before the time of commercial air travel, she travelled to the UK on a steamship, returning to America once she had opened the site and trained colleagues.
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Image © Andrew McCaul Photography
1936Gargrave Manufacturing Site
The full range of J&J products are made at Gargrave, including dressings, sutures, and heritage consumer products, making Gargrave the primary UK manufacturing site for the Company at that time. By 1941, full wartime manufacturing was in place at Gargrave and not a single hour of production was lost despite repeated air raids in the north of England.
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1947Acquisition of Edinburgh Suture Manufacturer G. F. Merson Ltd.
Suture and ligature production moves to Edinburgh under the new operating company of Ethicon, which had been formed from J&J’s heritage suture business and its 1947 acquisition of Edinburgh suture manufacturer G. F. Merson Ltd.
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1947Ortho Pharmaceutical Ltd. Formed in High Wycombe
A new pharmaceutical operating company, Ortho Pharmaceutical Ltd., is formed in High Wycombe, manufacturing pharmaceutical products for women’s health.
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The Robert Wood Johnson Scholarship is Created
The Robert Wood Johnson Scholarship - one of just a few nursing scholarships available worldwide at the time - is set-up to support with the UK’s post-war nursing shortage.
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1953J&J Aquires Manufacturing Facilities at Cosham, Portsmouth
J&J acquires additional manufacturing facilities at Cosham, Portsmouth where manufacturing of heritage consumer products and surgical adhesive tapes begins.
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J&J Delivers East Coast Floods Aid
J&J delivers aid to those affected by the East Coast Floods of 1953.
Read More - 1961
Liverpool’s Polio Immunisation Drive
J&J supports Liverpool’s immunisation drive during a 1961 outbreak of polio.
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1961J&J Acquires Janssen Pharmaceuticals
J&J acquires Janssen Pharmaceuticals. Its founder, Dr. Paul Janssen, is recognised as one of the most innovative and prolific pharmaceutical researchers of the 20th century.
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1980sEthicon Ltd. Becomes the Largest Manufacturer in Edinburgh
Ethicon Ltd. was the largest manufacturer in Edinburgh in the 1980s, with more than 1,200 employees.
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1998J&J Acquires DePuy
J&J acquires DePuy, enhancing the Company’s global orthopaedics business, including its factory in Beeston, Leeds, which remains a global orthopaedics R&D & manufacturing site and key UK office today.
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2009Relocation to Bracknell and Ascot Offices
J&J relocates all employees in Bracknell and Ascot offices to new state of the art facility in Pinewood, Wokingham.
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2009The Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Institute (TVCI) Opens
The Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Institute (TVCI) – now Johnson & Johnson Institute – opened in 2009, with STEP (Success Through Education Programme) starting in 2010, to support optometry students through their graduation and qualifying exams.
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2013Johnson & Johnson Innovation Centre Opens
J&J announces the opening of the Johnson & Johnson Innovation centre in London.
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May, 2024J&J Announces Brand Update
J&J announces it is updating its brand and uniting both its pharmaceutical and medtech segments under the Johnson & Johnson brand name, to demonstrate its collective power in healthcare.
Read More- May, 2024
J&J Marks its Centenary in the UK
J&J marks its Centenary in the UK, with celebrations across the Company’s seven UK campuses for its 3,000+ employees.
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CP-451630 | May 2024