Bausch + Lomb

Germany → USA

Healthcare, Pharma & Biotechnology

Summary

Bausch + Lomb was founded in 1853 in Rochester, New York, by John Jacob Bausch, an optician from Württemberg, Germany, who had emigrated to the United States in 1849. Bausch began with a small optical-goods shop and, with a $60 loan from his friend Henry Lomb (also a German immigrant), expanded into precision lens manufacturing. The company became the principal American supplier of microscope, camera, telescope, and military optics, and pioneered the soft contact lens. Today it is one of the world’s leading eye-health companies.

European Contribution

German precision optics and lens-grinding craftsmanship.

American Impact

Created the American precision-optics industry; supplied the U.S. military with critical optical equipment in both world wars; introduced the soft contact lens to a global market.

Timeline Highlights

  1. 1849 Bausch arrives in the United States
  2. 1853 Company founded with Henry Lomb's loan
  3. 1903 Begins supplying U.S. military optics
  4. 1971 Launches Soflens, the first soft contact lens
  5. 2022 Returns to public markets via IPO

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Sources

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Bausch-and-Lomb-Incorporated

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