History

A simple handshake between two ambitious salesmen in Texarkana, Texas, thread the needle to create the fabric of what BD is today. From its inception in New York in 1897, Maxwell W. Becton and Colonel Farleigh S. Dickinson grew their small business into the leading provider of medical devices and diagnostic systems by treating their associates as family.

In 1951, BD acquired the Norman S. Wright Company, a Canadian distributor located on King Street in downtown Toronto. This marked the formation of BD in Canada. At that time, the entire sales force in Canada consisted of 5 members and sales of a half a million dollars. After World War II the demand for BD products in Canada increased as doctors from the Canadian Armed Forces placed specific requests for products that they had come to trust during the war.

BD in Canada soon moved to Hopewell Street in Toronto and began to stock inventory. BD in Canada grew from a modest sales organization into a full-scale operation by expanding into surgical glove production. Over the years, millions of gloves were produced in Mississauga. In 1955, a single shipment from New Jersey to Canada included more product than what used to constitute all stock in the Canadian market. Even then, all products had French/English packaging. The Canadian organization was called upon to supply the Belgium and French markets in Europe.

By this time the growth of the Canadian sales force had almost doubled. BD sales representatives visited all types of locations to sell products including hospitals, drugstores, and laboratories and even the gold mines where BD reusable needles, stopcocks and adapters were used to test pressure inside the lines. One of the key challenges for the sales forces was the size of territory that needed to be covered and the weather. In 1980, BD in Canada moved into the direct pharmacy trade utilizing the wholesaler network.

As BD in Canada continued to expand, the need to move into a larger facility was inevitable. In 1964, BD in Canada relocated to South Sheridan Way in Mississauga. Today, BD in Canada has two locations in Ontario; Bristol Circle in Oakville and Derry Road in Mississauga. The organization has gone through many organizational changes but the focus remains on having top quality people deliver top quality products to improve the health of all Canadians. In 2010 BD celebrated 60 years of making a meaningful difference in canadian healthcare.

For a complete history of BD, please click here.