Avantor, Inc. is an American biotechnology, chemicals, and pharmaceutical company headquartered in Radnor, Pennsylvania. Established in 1904 as J.T. Baker, the company changed its name to Avantor in 2010. Avantor went public in 2019 and is now listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “AVTR”.
History
The company's history traces back to 1904, when John Townsend Baker (1860–1935) founded the chemical company J.T. Baker specializing in producing chemically pure reagents. The company gained recognition for its "Baker Analyzed" labels, which provided detailed analyses of trace impurities in its products. In 1911, the company began publishing "The Chemist-Analyst," which promoted its products and philosophy. After Baker's death in 1935, the company was acquired by Vick Chemical Company in 1941. During World War II, J.T. Baker expanded its product line to include penicillin, pesticides, and chemicals for batteries and munitions. After the war, the company further diversified into high-purity solvents, chromatography columns, and hazardous waste spill kits. In 1985, J.T. Baker and its parent company Richardson-Vicks were sold to Procter & Gamble, and subsequently sold to Mallinckrodt in 1995.[6][7]