Started company as one-man shop from his basement; today is one of Canada's top 100 employers
Oakville, ON, September 13, 2005 – After years of success in the Canadian pharmaceutical industry, ALTANA Pharma President and CEO, John Suk, is being inducted into the Canadian Healthcare Marketing Hall of Fame.
Eight years ago ALTANA Pharma, then known as Byk Canada, began as a one-man pharmaceutical company stationed in the basement of John Suk's home in St. Catharines, Ontario. Today it employs more than 200 employees across the country, occupying 40,000 square feet of office space in Oakville, Ontario and providing innovative pharmaceutical products and services to Canadians from coast-to-coast. ALTANA also was named one of the top 100 employers in Canada by Maclean's magazine. |
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The Canadian Healthcare Marketing Hall of Fame has been conducted by The Chronicle of Healthcare Marketing™ since 2002 and was created to provide formal recognition of individuals who have had an extraordinary influence on the pharmaceutical industry. Nominations are submitted by the publications' readers.
"The Hall of Fame was established to honour healthcare marketers who have been an inspiration to others and have demonstrated a commitment to the medical community," says Mitchell Shannon, Publisher of The Chronicle. "John Suk definitely fits that bill."
Before launching ALTANA Pharma, Mr. Suk held positions of increasing responsibility in marketing and sales with various pharmaceutical companies. He also is a business builder and entrepreneur and has played a key role building pharmaceutical businesses nationally and in other parts of the world. When starting ALTANA in Canada, he wanted to create a company that brought added value to the Canadian healthcare system.
"From the beginning, ALTANA employees have been dedicated to making a significant contribution to the Canadian healthcare industry," says Suk. "We take our motto - added value is our active ingredient – to heart, and work hard each day to bring it to life."
For example, in 2004 ALTANA invested more than 14 per cent of annual sales in research in Canada. Plus the company participates in a variety of healthcare, scientific, academic and community partnerships, all with the common goal of improving the health of Canadians. One of its newest initiatives is a scholarship program aimed to help increase the number of family physicians in Ontario.
ALTANA Pharma in Canada is active in the research and development of products in gastroenterology and respirology. The company's lead product is PANTOLOC† used in the treatment of acid-related gastrointestinal disorders. Designated as A Caring Company by Imagine Canada, ALTANA Pharma was named of Canada's Top 100 Employers by Maclean's. ALTANA Pharma Inc. is the Canadian pharmaceutical division of ALTANA AG (Germany)
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