Louis Lloyd Winter
| Louis Lloyd Winter | |
|---|---|
| Born |
17 March 1924 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | 5 November 1965 (aged 41) |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Occupation | President of Empire Laboratories |
| Known for | Pharmaceutic industry |
| Family | Bernard Sherman (nephew) |
Louis Lloyd Winter (March 17, 1924–November 5, 1965) was a Canadian entrepreneur and one of the pioneers of Canada's generic pharmaceutical industry.
He was born on St. Patrick's Day in Toronto, Ontario. By the time of his sudden death in 1965, he had built Empire Laboratories into the largest pharmaceutical business in Canada.
Louis Winter was the youngest of six children. He attended Jarvis Collegiate Institute in Toronto where he made the honour roll. He was accepted into the biochemistry program at the University of Toronto, and graduated with a Masters Degree in the subject. In 1948 he borrowed $10,000 from his father Abraham, and opened his first venture, Winter Laboratories. The business was based in the family's garage processing blood work and pregnancy tests for local pharmacies, doctors' offices and medical clinics. With just his school mate, Toby Johansen, to handle initial sales, the company quickly outgrew its space and moved into a house near the University of Toronto's main campus. The business continued to expand; Winter Laboratories leased the basement of the Mothercraft Building on Bloor Street, where Rochdale College was built in 1968.
Louis Winter recognized that brand name pharmaceutical drugs and popular over-the-counter medications were expensive, and that many consumers were having a difficult time purchasing their required prescriptions. He knew that many of these products could be synthesized or purchased in bulk and then manufactured or packaged into their required dosage forms for a fraction of their retail cost. He investigated this prospect further with the Canadian government authorities, and he discovered from Industry Canada, their Patent Office, and the government's Health Protection Branch, that he could establish a pharmaceutical manufacturing business providing that he adhered to their strict plant conditions and production standards.
Before officially starting his own generic pharmaceutical company, on July 20, 1955, Louis Winter incorporated Anchor Serum Company of Canada Limited, after negotiating the exclusive Canadian rights to manufacture the product line of Anchor Serum Company of St. Louis, MO. Anchor Serum primarily specialized in supplying pharmaceuticals to veterinarians. As his manufacturing business expanded, Winter then purchased a four story industrial building at 77 Florence Street, the former candy manufacturing facility of Jenny Lynn Chocolates, and on August 21, 1959, he incorporated Empire Laboratories Limited.
...
Wikipedia