Merck

Merck (d.b.a. EMD Millipore in the U.S. and Canada) is a German chemical and pharmaceutical company. Merck, also known as “German Merck” and “Merck Darmstadt”, was founded in Darmstadt, Germany, in 1668, making it the world's oldest operating chemical and pharmaceutical company. The company was privately owned until going public in 1995. However, the Merck family still controls a majority (≈70%) of the company's shares. Following World War I, Merck lost possession of its foreign sites, including the Merck & Co. subsidiary in the United States. Merck & Co., which operates as Merck Sharp and Dohme (MSD) outside the U.S. and Canada, is now an independent company. Merck KGaA operates mainly in Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania and Latin America. Since Merck & Co. holds the rights to the Merck name in the U.S. and Canada, the company operated under the umbrella brand EMD Chemicals in North America, and since 2010 as EMD Millipore (after the acquisition of Millipore Corporation), formed from the initials of Emanuel Merck, Darmstadt. Founded in 1668 in Darmstadt, Merck KGaA of Darmstadt, Germany, is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company. The success of the export business to the United States led in 1887 to the establishment of an office in New York, which gave rise to their subsidiary [Merck & Co.](http://www.crunchbase.com/organization/merck-co-inc) four years later. Owing to World War I, Merck & Co. was expropriated in 1917. The two companies have been separate every since. Merck KGaA Subsidiaries: - [Merck Consumer Healthcare](http://www.crunchbase.com/organization/merck-consumer-healthcare) - [Merck Performance Materials](http://www.crunchbase.com/organization/merck-performance-materials)