2001 is the targeted launch. Truly this is a project, and a product, for the new millennium. Established in the U.S. in 1891, Merck is a global, research-driven pharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering, developing, manufacturing and marketing a broad range of human and animal health products. Focusing its efforts on the discovery of important new medicines, Merck began its research program in the 1930s and rapidly became known for its achievements in vitamins, cortisone, penicillin and streptomycin. The company's pharmaceutical manufacturing operations encompass some 30 plants worldwide in the U.S., Europe, Central and South America, Asia and the Pacific Rim.
Competition is fierce and the figures are unforgiving.
A win by a week could mean millions. With its business line approach and global expertise, Foster Wheeler is well aware of the pressures as well as the parameters of pharmaceutical projects. And because of the way we have structured our organization, we are able to marshal the specialized skills essential for managing and executing any size project any where in the world. In an unusual move for Merck, the company made the decision to use Foster Wheeler as design engineer as well as for the more usual procurement, construction, qualification and management roles typical of European pharma projects. It is also the name of the chateau, the Chateau de Mirabel, an 18th century manor house that was once the jewel of a country estate that dates back to the 15th century.