Baxter International
Baxter International was founded in 1931 by Donald Baxter, a Los Angeles-based medical doctor, as a manufacturer and distributor of intravenous therapy solutions. Seeing a need for products closer to the Midwest, the company opened a manufacturing plant in Glenview, Illinois, in 1933. Baxter's interest was bought out in 1935 by Ralph Falk, who established a research and development function. In 1939 the company developed a vacuum-type collection container, extending the shelf life of blood from hours to weeks. In 1954, the company expanded operations outside of the United States by opening an office in Belgium. In 1956 Baxter International introduced the first functioning artificial kidney, and in 1971 became a member of the Fortune 500.