This year marks a century since Organon was founded in Oss. “In 1923, Organon started as a subsidiary of the Zwanenberg meat processing factory. They extracted insulin from offal. If Organon hadn’t started doing that then, Oss would have looked very different now,” says Robert van Vlijmen, who was once an archivist at the company.
The pharmaceutical company has since made a name for itself worldwide with the production of insulin and the contraceptive pill. Organon was also of great importance locally. “Oss wouldn’t have the current size and facilities if it weren’t for the pharmacy.”
Full of admiration, Ossenaar Robert van Vlijmen walks across the enormous business park. In addition to Organon, dozens of pharmaceutical companies have settled in the city over the years.
The PivotPark now forms an important part of the business park. Sixteen companies and knowledge institutes conduct research in the field of medicines. “Organon was at one point taken over by pharmaceutical company MSD. The production of Organon remained, but the Research and Development sector was divested,” explains Van Vlijmen.
Former Organon employees had knowledge that should not be lost, they felt. That is why they started their own pharmaceutical companies. “The former employees have gained knowledge and experience at Organon. The pharmaceutical industry and the PivotPark would probably never have existed if Organon had not been founded,” says Van Vlijmen.
“Oss became a logistics hub in Brabant.”
In the pharmaceutical field, Organon has been important in producing insulin and the birth control pill. But the Osse company also played an important role in other matters, such as the accessibility of the city.
“The goods produced by the pharmaceutical companies had to be transported. Oss therefore increasingly became a logistics hub in Brabant. Roads and railways were improved and expanded. This made the city easier to reach by car and train,” says Van Vlijmen as he walks past the iconic blue wall with Organon letters near the station.
“The influence of Organon has been enormous in Oss.”
Organon continued to grow over the years. And with that growth, the need for more employees increased. At first they came from Oss, but more and more people came from outside the city. Although close to the railway and easily accessible by car, more and more Organon employees opted for a home in Oss.
The company had dozens of houses built for employees in the Moleneind district, adjacent to the industrial estate. “If an employee wanted to rent something, they should not be with the housing association, but with Organon’s Human Resources department. The company itself chose the tenants.”
Aerial photos in particular show how the city has grown in recent decades. “The business park is located in the middle of the city. The houses were later built around it,” says Van Vlijmen. The former company archivist dares to say that Oss would have looked different without Organon. “Organon’s influence has been enormous in Oss. The city has developed with the arrival of Organon and has continued to grow along with the other pharmaceutical companies. And that is still happening.”
