Bayer Animal Health marks 50th anniversary in Shawnee, Kan.

Bayer HealthCare Animal Health celebrated both the 50th anniversary of its Shawnee, Kansas, animal health campus and Bayer’s 150th anniversary globally by hosting a celebration luncheon for more than 450 employees, community and state political leaders and local industry partners on Tuesday, June 18. The event featured an internationally diverse menu, which was also served to more than 110,000 Bayer employees worldwide.

“I could think of no better way to mark Bayer’s 150th anniversary, and our own 50 years of animal health history, than by sharing a globally inspired meal with my colleagues,” says Ian Spinks, president and general manager of Bayer’s Animal Health Division in North America. “It reminds us that we are not only part of something very special here in Shawnee, but also part of a global company dedicated to science for a better life.”

To mark the 150th anniversary of Bayer worldwide, the Bayer Cares Foundation awarded nearly $785,000 in donations to 150 volunteer projects around the world. In Shawnee, Trish Wilbur, senior staff associate for the food animal and equine business unit, was recognized as one of nine U.S. Bayer employees and retirees whose volunteer projects received a grant to help support their initiatives. Wilbur’s grant of more than $6,500 will support Open Door Haiti’s “Build a Bed” project. In July, she will travel to Bois De Lance, Haiti, to build beds for 32 families.

Bayer Animal Health employees were joined by community and state government officials, including Dale Rodman, Kansas secretary of agriculture. “Healthy animals are the foundation of a safe, wholesome food supply,” says Rodman. “Your company’s commitment to excellence and leadership in animal health has benefited the global animal agriculture sector for 150 years. It was an honor to participate in the celebration today. On behalf of Kansas agriculture, we look forward to continuing to work with our partners at Bayer for another 150 years.”

Bayer’s yearlong anniversary celebration includes numerous global and U.S. events focused on the company’s employees, customers, partners and the scientific community. These events include a traveling exhibition focusing on healthcare, agriculture and high-performance materials and the Bayer Anniversary Airship, which will make stops on five continents. For more information, visit www.150.bayer.com.