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Tasmanian Alkaloids Pty Ltd

Company name

Tasmanian Alkaloids

Company website

http://www.tasalk.com.au/home.html

Company annual report

Not available

Location

160 Birralee Road, Westbury Tasmania 7303.

NOTE: For contact details, please access the company website.

Principle business activities

Tasmanian Alkaloids is a fully integrated manufacturer of medicinal opiates. The basis of the work of the company is cultivation of poppies under contract with independent growers and then to harvest and store the crop at their factory for processing.

In 1975 Tasmanian Alkaloids Pty Ltd was founded as a joint venture between Abbott Laboratories from the United States and Ciech - Polfa from Poland. the partners set up the initial structure for growing poppies and processing in Tasmania. Processing operations started in 1977 after several years of agricultural trials and factory construction. In 1982 Tasmanian Alkaloids was acquired by Johnson & Johnson, the world's largest health care company.

The commpany invests strongly in research and development in a variety of areas - from plant breeding to final product crystallation. The result is improved productivity for the whole industry, from primary production through to manufacturing.

The company employs over 200 people as well as 500 farmers and 50 contractors and deals with 400 Tasmanian firms in a wide range of goods and services.

Performance

Tasmanian Alkaloids is recognised as the largest manufacturfer of active pharmaceutical ingredients in Australia and is the largest exporter of codeine and thebaine in the world.

95% of the company's production of pharmaceutical raw materials is exported to all parts of the world, with the other 5% being sold within Australia.

At the Australian Business Excellence Awards in 2007, Tasmanian Alkaloids was recognised for outstanding business achievement with the presentation of two awards.

Future production

Tasmanian Alkaloids have strong investment in agricultural research and process development to ensure the continued development of new products.