Fisons
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Pharmaceuticals, Scientific instruments, Agricultural chemicals |
| Founded | 1843 |
| Founder | Edward Packard |
| Defunct | 1995 |
| Fate | Acquired by Rhone-Poulenc |
| Headquarters | Ipswich , United Kingdom |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Pharmaceuticals (notably sodium cromoglycate), Scientific instruments, Agricultural chemicals (fertilisers) |
| Parent | Rhone-Poulenc (from 1995) |
Fisons plc was a British multinational corporation specializing in pharmaceuticals, scientific instruments, and agricultural chemicals, with its main office located in Ipswich, United Kingdom. The company was publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange and previously featured in the FTSE 100 Index. In 1995, it was acquired by Rhone-Poulenc.
History
Founded in 1843 by Edward Packard, the company was among the pioneers in producing superphosphate derived from coprolites. His son, also named Edward, joined the enterprise in 1863 and played a key role in expanding the business and streamlining the fertiliser sector within the UK. The firm became incorporated as Edward Packard and Company Limited in 1895.
In 1919, the company acquired a fertiliser firm established by James Fison of Thetford dating back to 1808, which led to a rebranding in 1929 as Packard and James Fison (Thetford) Limited. That same year, it also purchased the Prentice Brothers fertiliser operation based in Stowmarket, prompting another name change to Fison, Packard & Prentice, Limited.
The corporate name was abbreviated to Fisons Ltd in 1942. Throughout the 1950s, Fisons actively promoted the use of helicopters for crop spraying.
Fisons operated peat extraction on the Somerset Levels, where employees uncovered the ancient Sweet Track in 1970—an archaeological find dated approximately to 3807 BC; a segment of this track is now preserved at the British Museum.
During the early 1980s, Fisons redirected its business towards pharmaceuticals by divesting its fertiliser division to Norsk Hydro in 1982.
In the 1990s, environmental activism from the UK Earth Liberation Front targeted Fisons’ practices, notably causing considerable damage as a protest against peat bog drainage.
The company's expansion was largely fueled by sales of sodium cromoglycate products used for treating asthma and allergic conditions. Nevertheless, setbacks occurred when US licenses for Opticrom and Imferon were lost in 1991, coupled with unsuccessful clinical trials for the asthma medication Tipredane in 1993, which hindered future growth.
At the beginning of 1995, Fisons divested its Instruments Division to Thermo Instrument Systems of the United States; simultaneously, its Research and Development centers located in Loughborough and Rochester, New York were acquired by Swedish firm Astra AB.
Later that year, ownership of Fisons transferred to Rhone-Poulenc Rorer, a US-based subsidiary of French chemical conglomerate Rhône-Poulenc S.A.
Operations
Fisons maintained its headquarters in Ipswich, with Pharmaceutical Research and Development facilities situated in both Loughborough, UK and Rochester, New York, USA. Manufacturing activities were carried out in Holmes Chapel, Cheshire. The company's historic fertiliser plant in Ipswich—established in 1858 and designated as Grade II listed—was destroyed by a fire suspected to be arson in 2019.
Sponsorship
From the 1986–87 season through to 1994–95, Fisons served as sponsor for Ipswich Town Football Club. This period included the victorious 1991–92 season when Ipswich Town claimed the Second Division title and achieved promotion to the Premier League.
See also
- Superphosphate
- Coprolites, an early phosphate source discovered in south Suffolk
- Coprolite Street
- Pharmaceutical industry in the United Kingdom