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Alcon, Inc.

Type	Public (NYSE: ACL)
Founded	Fort Worth, Texas (1945)
Headquarters	Hünenberg, Switzerland Fort Worth, Texas, USA
Key people	Kevin Buehler President and CEO
Industry	Ophthalmology
Products	Ophthalmic pharmaceuticals Surgical equipment Contact care products Dry Eye Products Ocular Vitamins
Revenue	▲$6.3 billion USD (2008)
Employees	15,000 (2009)
Website	http://www.alcon.com/

Alcon, (NYSE: ACL) incorporated and with corporate headquarters, in Hünenberg, Switzerland, is a global medical company specializing in eye care products. Alcon's U.S. headquarters is located in Fort Worth, Texas.

[edit] History

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Alcon was founded in 1945 in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. The company started as a small pharmacy in Fort Worth and was named for its founders, pharmacists Robert Alexander and William Conner. Conner and Alexander focused on sterile ophthalmic products, which no other company specialized in at the time, and built their business by researching eye care products that would reduce contamination and increase safety.

Nestlé of Switzerland purchased Alcon in 1977. This was during a time of rapid growth for Nestlé and was their first venture into the pharmaceutical industry. Alcon expanded its manufacturing capability with new plants in South America and Europe and drastically increased its investment in research. In the 80s and 90s, Alcon continued to grow and became the largest and most profitable ophthalmic company in the world^{[citation needed]}. The Alcon product line has expanded from pharmaceuticals to the surgical arena. The Acrysof intraocular lens implant is the most commonly used implant in cataract surgery worldwide^{[citation needed]}. Today, Alcon has operations in 75 countries and their products are sold in over 180 countries. Alcon employs nearly 15,000 employees worldwide.

Nestlé conducted an initial public offering of 25% of its stake in Alcon in 2002. The stock is traded under the ticker symbol ACL. Nestlé remains the majority shareholder.

In 2008, Novartis purchased approximately 25% of Nestlé's stake in Alcon, with an option to buy Nestle's remaining shares beginning in 2010.^[1]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Alcon Official Website