The Engelhorn family business has its roots in Mannheim, Germany, dating back over 200 years.
The founder of March Limited Peter Engelhorn – was the great-grandson of Friedrich Engelhorn, a respected entrepreneur and industrialist who in 1865 co-founded BASF – now a leading chemical engineering company with a global presence.
In 1883, Friedrich Engelhorn also joined the board of a small pharmaceutical factory, Engelmann und Boehringer, which his eldest son (also Friedrich) took ownership of in 1892.
During the first half of the 20th Century, the company became a leading supplier of quinine – an extract from the bark of the fever tree (Cinchona) and the primary medication against malaria. Under the leadership of the Engelhorn family, the company developed its knowledge of alkaloids into a line of leading pharmaceutical products.
Peter Engelhorn joined the family business after World War II, together with his brother and cousins, and between 1960 and 1985 served as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Boehringer Mannheim GmbH. He set up March Limited in 1976 to hold his share of the family business.
Over three decades, Boehringer Mannheim expanded – acquiring U.S. firms Bio-Dynamics Inc. and DePuy Inc. – and grew to become a world leader in biochemistry, pharmaceuticals and medical diagnostics.
The legacy of the founding family is reflected in March Group’s focus today on investing in healthcare.
