50 years of innovative

detergent and

disinfectant solutions

2

Life is sometimes shaped by coincidences. When my father, who was actually at home in the field of computer sciences, was offered the licence for a revolutionary cleaning formula over dinner one evening, he saw the opportunity and within two days had the licence contract in his pocket.

This led to the founding of Borer Chemie AG, a company which today employs 80 people in Switzerland and has had a subsidiary company operating in China since 2008.

My own life has also been shaped by my father’s entry into the chemical industry. I have been fas-cinated by everything «chemical» since my earli-est childhood years and was happy to spend time in Borer Chemie AG. It was therefore not difficult to choose which subject to study – I studied and gained my doctorate in Chemistry at the Univer-sity of Berne.

Today, in my position as CEO of Borer Chemie AG, my ties to the company have of course become much stronger while my contact with practical chemistry has become somewhat abstract.

When I look at the company, however, one thing especially is obvious: the chemistry is there – even today! Over the next few pages, you can read about the fascinating mix of products, services, skills, ideas and characters that have turned a one-man business in 1965 into a successful com-pany committed to sustainability, partnership and Switzerland as a business location.

50 years of Borer Chemie AG – we are proud of what we’ve achieved and want to continue our success with our staff and partners.

My favourite car.

Not one that just anyone

drives.

My luxury.

Having time for myself

and my family.

Foresightful and sustainable for half a century.

Cleanliness allows no compromise.

Dr Markus Borer

CEO of Borer Chemie AG

My dream.

A leisurely road trip through

the former Eastern Bloc.

Editorial _ 3

Everyday encounters

Competences _ 5

Watch industry and precision

mechanics

Perfectly cleaned components

are a prerequisite for the perfectly

functioning watch.

Smartphone display and monitor

You’re in contact with us every time you

touch your Smartphone or look at your

PC’s monitor, as our products are used

in their manufacture.

Tablet compression tools

Residue-free cleanliness is the first

duty of the pharmaceutical indus-

try. This is achieved spotlessly

by the use of our detergents and

procedures.

Surgical instruments and endoscopes

Our deconex® products are used

for the reprocessing of surgical

instruments.

Test tubes and beakers

Many innovations have their origins in a

laboratory. We contribute by providing

perfectly cleaned laboratory glassware.

Surgical robots

Cutting-edge robots are increasingly

being used in surgery. These are reprocessed

with deconex®.

Ophthalmic glass and

precision optics

Ensuring that you have a clear

view: our products are used

in the production of ophthalmic

lenses and precision optics.

specialised products and that our detergents are used in many laboratories around the world? Or that our deconex® products ensu-re cleanliness and hygiene in hospitals?

You’re in indirect contact with several pro-ducts from Borer Chemie AG every day. Did you know that the surfaces of many precisi-on instruments are cleaned with our highly

6

Borer Chemie AG was founded in 1965 from an opportunity which the company’s founder – Anton Borer – knew he couldn’t pass up. His entrepreneurial spirit developed the company into the business model which still functions to-day. In the 1960s, the regulatory framework was somewhat broader and the young businessman Anton Borer and his growing team were able to concentrate on conquering new markets and de-veloping innovative detergents.

Today, our business activities take place in a tight-er legal and regulatory network. Naturally, the pro-visions offers our company, as well as customers and users, a high level of security, without which it would not be possible to run a sustainable, for-ward-looking company. Legal barriers do however represent a lot of administrative work, additional jobs and restrictions on freedom of action.

To be able to sell our products around the world, we must comply carefully with country-specific registration provisions. The regulations on med-ical and biocidal products also govern the use of certain products in the medical and hygiene fields. The Life Sciences division is kept busy with issues surrounding cGMP, and distribution needs to follow detailed transport regulations for dangerous materials. ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 form the basis for our businesses.

It’s a challenge! However, we’re growing with the demands and stay on track. For 50 years.

«Sitting down with my col-

leagues and solving a tricky

cleaning problem with a

newly developed product

and process, that’s when I

have fun.»

Stefan Mauerhofer

Director R & D

Readiness to deliver:

Our modern logistics

centre makes short

reaction times possible.

Pioneering spirit then and now.

We started out offering just a single product, but now have a portfolio of over 160 highly specialised products.

Whether filled fully automatic

or labelled carefully by hand, we

deliver Swiss quality.

Innovation _ 7

Quality control – each

raw material and each

production and filling

batch is checked and

documented.

8 Milestones _ 9

A half century

We are celebrating the 50-year

anniversary of the company.

The new North-West building

provides an additional 300 m2

laboratory space, 300 m2

production space and 800 m2

storage area.

As part of the dynamic

development of the Asian

market, our subsidiary

company Borer Shanghai is

founded under the leadership

of Raymond W. Hu.

Two disinfectants developed:

decosept® for the surgical and

hygienic disinfection of hands,

and deconex® SOLARSEPT

for the rapid disinfection of

surfaces.

Anton Borer retires and hands

over the operational manage-

ment of the company to René

Jordi. He takes over leadership

of the company for the next

5 years.

Products are labelled just-

in-time and according to the

destination for which they are

intended in over 20 languages.

This allows for a high level of

flexibility and rapid delivery to

customers around the world.

Dr Markus Borer assumes

leadership of the company after

successfully heading up seve-

ral divisions. Borer Holding is

formed and the shares divided

among the founder’s three sons.

Our Laboratory and Pharma

divisions are merged into the new

Life Sciences business unit.

Intensification and expansion

of international sales. Western

European, Asian and Eastern

European markets opened up.

deconex® 28 ALKA ONE is the

first product with proven efficacy

against prions, which can cause

the so-called mad cow disease

(BSE).

A new logistics centre is built

for the temporary storage,

commissioning and distribu-

tion of finished products. Two

truck bays allow for rapid

processing.

First ISO 9001 certification

from Bureau Veritas. A first

step in preparing for today’s

necessary and extensive

regulatory requirements.

The results of a comprehensive

study on the aqueous cleaning

of optical glass is presented

to international experts. The

presentation is published in

the journal «Optical World» and

receives international recogni-

tion. This gives rapid access to

the global optics industry.

Solar Impulse begins the

first fully solar powered

flight around the globe.

For the first time in US

history, a black man becomes

president. Barack Obama was

elected on 4 November 2008.

Steve Jobs conjures

the first iPod from his

pocket on 23 October

2001.

The YouTube portal

goes online. Users can

watch and rate video

clips and upload their

own for free.

«Pretty Woman» is

the most-watched

film of the year.

«Buendnerfleisch». A single

word brings tears of laughter

to the eyes of Federal

Councillor Hans-Rudolf Merz.

Unforgettable.

Apple’s first iPad

is launched on the

market.

The European Union

becomes reality.

The Berlin Wall falls on

9 November 1989.The euro is introduced as the

currency in 12 states of the

European Union, as well as in

Andorra, Monaco, Montenegro,

San Marino and Vatican City.

2 October 2001 – all planes

of the once proud Swissair

are grounded.

The last flight of

Concorde from

London Heathrow

to the Aviation

Heritage Museum

in Filton, UK.

The biggest literary success of modern

times: the first Harry Potter book is

published in 1997 and generates enor-

mous hype about the boy wizard. The

book is translated into 73 languages

and sells more than 450 million copies

worldwide.

Steve Jobs presents

the first Smartphone

from Apple’s iPhone

series on 9 January

2007.

The Facebook social

network is launched in

February 2004. Based

on its own figures, approx-

imately 1,44 billion mem-

bers visit the Facebook site

at least once a month.

The premature death of the

«King of pop». Michael Jackson

writes musical history.

The Schengen Agreement

comes into force.

Ötzi, the ice man, is

found in the South

Tyrolean Alps.

Researchers invent the MP3 file

format. This compresses music

files so that anyone can down-

load them from the internet.

2015

2003

2001

1995

2008

19932005 1990

2011

1989

2009

2010

2007

2004

1991

Borer Chemie becomes

borer – advanced cleaning solutions.

The subsidiary company Borer

Shanghai celebrates its fifth birthday

in the presence of Dr Markus Borer.

The international

anonymous press

archive WikiLeaks

is founded.

2013

1997

2006

2002

10 Milestones _ 11

The world’s first computer-

managed mixing plant.

Made possible by an IBM XP

computer with a 10-MB hard

drive and a Mitsubishi PLC

with fibre optics.

Nuclear catastrophe in the

largest atomic power station

in the world at the time –

Chernobyl.

1987

1986

First expansion of the produc-

tion, storage and office space.

Up until this point, products

were exclusively distributed

via specialist retailers; now,

Switzerland can also be pro-

cessed directly.

The company moves to its new

building in Zuchwil, still the

current headquarters. Approx.

800 m2 production, storage and

office space is available.

French biochemist Luc Montag-

nier decodes the genes of the

AIDS pathogen, HIV.

Mathias Rust lands his Cessna

near Red Square on the Day of

the Border Troops. Following

this, several high-ranking

military officers receive early

pensions and perestroika makes

advances also in the army. Lady Diana Spencer and

Charles, Prince of Wales,

marry on 29 July 1981.

Garfield, the legendary

comic cat, eats his first lasagne.

Woodstock Music

and Art FestivalThe year with three

popes: Pope John-Paul I

succeeds Paul VI to the

Holy See. However, he

dies 33 days after taking

office. After a new vote,

John-Paul II becomes

pope.

1984

1981

1978

The first product for the prepa-

ration of medical instruments

is developed and successfully

launched.

PMC, Products for Medicine

and Chemistry, becomes

a public company, Borer

Chemie AG.

Michael Jackson’s multimillion-selling album

«Thriller» is released. Over the years, it becomes

the best-selling album in history.

For many, «Thriller» is their very

first CD – compact disc – or their

last LP.

1982

MTV goes on the air. The

first video shown is «Video

Killed the Radio Star» by

The Buggles.

The song

«Like a Rolling Stone»

by Bob Dylan

is released.

Development of deconex® 12,

a mildly alkaline, low-phosphate

detergent, as a result of a request

from water protection agencies.

Opening of the 16.9-km long

Gotthard road tunnel from

Göschenen to Airolo.

Change the clocks:

daylight savings time

is introduced.

Elvis Presley, the

«King of Rock ’n’ Roll»,

dies in Memphis.

1980

1977

Contracts for the development

of the first products for automa-

ted cleaning in laboratories are

issued to external partners. The

deconex® 21 powder product is

launched successfully.

Move to Biberist.

Steve Jobs and Steve

Wozniak found the

Apple company in a

garage in Palo Alto.

Apollo 11 lands on the moon

on 20 July 1969. One day

later, the first human walks

on the moon. Neil Arm-

strong, the American astro-

naut, speaks the legendary

words: «It’s one small step

for a man; it’s one giant leap

for mankind!».

1976

1969

The successful CEO Maurice

Vultier dies unexpectedly. Anton

Borer is unsure whether to conti-

nue the company.

Anton Borer founds PMC,

Products for Medicine and

Chemistry, in a former hair salon

in Solothurn.

The first product is called

detex® 11, as 11 is the lucky

number of Solothurn.

Ernő Rubik invents

the Rubik’s Cube.

1974 1965

1965

Gap in the market found: Glisseal,

the laboratory grease without a

drop point, is a practical supple-

mentary product to the detergent

deconex® 11.

Martin Luther King dreams of a

world in which all men have the

same rights, regardless of race

or religion. He is murdered on

4 April.

In cinema, 1965 begins with

the third James Bond film

«Goldfinger». The film makes

it into the Guinness Book of

Records for recovering its

production costs after only

three weeks at the box office.

1968

Registration of the detex®

11 brand name encounters

difficulties, hence the product

is renamed deconex® 11 and can

then be registered and protected

in 17 countries in accordance

with the Madrid Agreement.

Awarded the licensing rights

for the manufacture and sales

of laboratory device cleaners.

The licence covers Switzerland,

Germany, Scandinavia and the

Far East.

The first Alfa Romeo

Spider is built. It is the longest-lasting, largely

unchanged cabriolet ever built.

1966

1965

12 Borer Chemie AG _ 13

Our success is based on our employees. These statements may sound corny, but we know that without the efforts, many ideas, passion and de-termination of our employees, we wouldn’t be where we are today.

We know how valuable our employees are. But why do they like to work here? We asked them. A wide range of tasks, a good working climate, team spirit, the international character, pro-gressive employment conditions, a high level of freedom, a friendly and informal atmosphere, the ideal company size: all arguments which speak for us as an employer.

All the better! Because the one-man operation of 1965 now employs 80 full-time staff at its Zuchwil headquarters. During university vaca-tions, we also employ students who can earn some extra income. We profit not only from their efforts, but from their different ways of looking at things.

It really makes us happy that the average tenure is high at our company; two people have already been with us for 26 years. This could be due to the fact that we value not only success, but that basic values like mutual respect, transparency and sustainability also play an important role.

An environment where philanthropy and togeth-erness count. An environment which promotes innovation and creativity.

«I have the most varied job

you can think of. It’s great

fun.»

Martin Haussener

Industry sales

Our ideas of today are tomorrow’s successes.

We are a family company. Our staff are collaborators and innovators. They formthe core of our company.

Regardless of whether

he’s working on the

forklift or at the

computer, Marc Ghezzi

keeps the shelves in

order and makes sure

deliveries take place on

time – with precision

and panache.

Cindy Meister is affectionately called

«our pearl» by the Industry Team.

She stays calm in the middle of all the

hectic and completes her many tasks

to a high level of quality, all while keep-

ing a smile on her face.

Borer Chemie AG _ 15 14

Creativity is usually thought of in connection with art and design. We believe that being cre-ative also means to formulate ideas and propose solutions. Thus, the basis for the 2015 decision to train the company’s first ever business apprenti-ce came from an employee initiative.

Our technologically demanding products and cleaning process require bright minds: regard-less of whether our employees are fiddling with a formula, getting acquainted with a new area of application or technology, optimising a work-flow or developing a new sales strategy, everyone is welcome to give their thoughts and join in!

Today, there are over 30 roles within our com-pany, which represents an impressive variety of expertise and specialisation – a guarantee for the proverbial Swiss quality.

Switzerland as a business locationWith the international orientation of the compa-ny and an 80% export share, it may appear to be less important to be based in Switzerland. Howe-ver, Switzerland is and remains essential for us as a market and production location. This is because we stand for famous Swiss qualities – conscien-tious and precise, technological and innovative, cooperative and fair, foresightful and sustainable.

Participation, creativity, process organisation – key words to be implemented. Our staff achieve this every day in an impressive way.

Output 7 trucks per day

«What do I like about Borer

Chemie? Good working

conditions, understanding

managers and a great

team.»

Gökhan Günes

Production employee

3 to 5 product developments per year

Dispatch by post, courier, truck, air freight and sea freight

Customer- and country-specific labels in 37 languages

1700 pallet spaces – corresponding to an area equivalent to 8,5 tennis courts

Quality controls for 160 products with 170 raw materials

exported80%

Participation also means finding solutions as

a team: our production staff in an animated

discussion.

Borer Chemie AGGewerbestrasse 134528 Zuchwil | Switzerlandwww.borer.ch