Our History
It only makes sense that our history of Johnson & Johnson is flavoured with the very elements of value-based leadership, innovation, passion and courage that make up our corporate culture today.
In the mid-1880s, we developed the first ready-made, ready-to-use surgical dressings. Birth of the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies, it also led to a dramatic reduction in the threat of infection and disease.
Learn more about the history of the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies.
In 1889, the Gilmour Brothers, a Montreal agency, began distributing “our” products and effectively started our Canadian operation. Rising demand for their high quality consumer products clearly indicated that a Canadian subsidiary was needed.
In 1919 Montreal became the first subsidiary of the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies outside of the United States. It was there that we first incorporated our company, Johnson & Johnson Inc.
Today, Johnson & Johnson Inc. has it headquarters in Markham, Ontario. Approximately 400 passionate and dedicated colleagues work together in our Markham, Montreal and Guelph offices. This team is supported by more than 1,000 manufacturing and research and development (R&D) colleagues, based at our Guelph and Montreal manufacturing sites.
Johnson & Johnson Products Inc., a manufacturing site and R&D facility remains in Montreal. This 673,000-square-foot site operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week and has a staff of approximately 700 employees. Johnson & Johnson Products Inc. manufactures world-class feminine hygiene products such as STAYFREE®, CAREFREE® and o.b.® Tampons.
The manufacturing site for McNeil Consumer Healthcare, division of Johnson & Johnson Inc. is located in Guelph, Ontario. The location originally started in 1974 and began to manufacturing Johnson & Johnson baby products four years later. By 1980, the site began producing TYLENOL® brand products and grew to 100,000 square feet by 1984. Through the 1990s, our Guelph plant added more products to their manufacturing lineup and by 2000 began manufacturing for the U.S. as well. Today, our “Guelph Campus” spans more than 205,000 square feet and produces our over-the-counter (OTC) products for Canada including TYLENOL® and MOTRIN® IB and BENYLIN.®
In addition to manufacturing, Guelph is also home to our Canadian OTC Research and Development Facility — including new product development and analytical laboratory — and warehousing facilities.
Find out more about the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies in Canada.
