The History of GEA Process Engineering Inc.

The history of GEA Process Engineering Inc. - GEA Process Engineering Inc. is a progressive process engineering company and remains the leader in diverse technologies like: granulation, agglomeration, drying, mixing and blending, fermentation, cell disruption, evaporation, distillation, membrane filtration, tablet compression, crystallization, pasteurization, process integration and process automation, microwave technology, extrusion, spheronizing, powder and tablet coating, powder and particulate conveying and packaging, containment, and material handling. GEA Process Engineering Inc. is active in the following and related industries: pharmaceutical, biotechnology, chemical, food, dairy, beverage, brewery, nutritional, nutraceutical, food ingredients, fine chemical, sugar, starch, pulp and paper.

1933 – Niro A/S founded in Denmark by Danish engineer and inventor Johan Ernst Nyrop.

1946 – Niro's presence in the United States first established under the name of American Niro Corporation.

1948 – Name shortened to Niro Corporation.

1950 – Niro Corporation entered into a license arrangement with Nichols Engineering & Research Corporation, a cooperation that lasted until 1974.

1958 – Niro entered fluid bed market.

1974 – Niro Atomizer Inc. established with office in Belle Mead, New Jersey.

1975 – Company opened new office and pilot plant in Columbia, Maryland.

1977 – Niro began to market evaporators directly to the dairy industry.

1979 – Acquired De Laval Eva-dry Division of Alfa Laval, located in Hudson, Wisconsin. Division renamed Niro Hudson Inc., establishing operations as sister company to Niro Atomizer Inc.

1981 – Acquired longtime spray dryer competitor, Bowen Engineering.

1981 – Developed & patented spray dryer with integrated fluid bed.

1987 – Moved all chemical activities to Chemical Division in Columbia office.

1989 – Entered pharmaceutical market through acquisition of Aeromatic AG, a Swiss company specializing in batch fluid bed dryers for pharmaceutical products.

1990 – Acquired GEA Niro Soavi Division to manufacture and market homogenizers.

1990 – Established Niro Evaporator Inc. Division.

1991 – Dropped the "Atomizer" from name to become Niro Inc.

1991 – Purchased the UK-based company, T.K. Fielder, suppliers of granulation and microwave drying systems.

1991 – Purchased Nica™ Systems, a Swedish company supplying extrusion and spheronizing equipment.

1991 – Assimilated all pharmaceutical activities for North America into Aeromatic-Fielder Division of Niro Inc., operating from Columbia office.

1993 – Assimilated Niro Evaporator Inc. into Niro Inc.

1993 — Niro became a part of German company GEA AG.

1994 – Completed construction of Pharmaceutical Technology Center (PTC), featuring the latest designs in equipment, controls, and facility construction.

1997 – Atlantic Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (APS) established to manufacture solid dosage drugs under contract to various pharmaceutical companies.

1997 – Niro Inc. and Niro Hudson merged to become one company, Niro Inc., with locations in Columbia, Maryland and Hudson, Wisconsin.

1999 – GEA AG merged with Metallgesellschaft AG, a German technology-oriented engineering and chemicals group.

1999 – GEA AG acquired the pharmaceutical division of GEI International plc.

2000 – Niro Inc. integrated all pharmaceutical technology with Aeromatic-Fielder Division to form new Pharma Systems Division.

2001 – GEA merged the S-Segment (evaporation technology) into the P-Segment.

2001 – Niro Inc. introduces new evaporation technology group, GEA Evaporation Technologies, dedicated to supplying evaporation, distillation, rectification, and crystallization process technology and systems to the North American market. The company is headquartered in Columbia, MD, USA. Uniting the thermal concentration technologies of GEA Wiegand, GEA Keastner, and Niro.

2001 – GEA announces the formation of GEA Filtration as a new business group dedicated to supplying membrane filtration technology and systems (Reverse Osmosis, Nanofiltration, Ultrafiltration and Microfiltration). The worldwide technology center for GEA Filtration is in Hudson, WI - USA.

2002 – APS sold to Shire Pharmaceutical.

2002 – GEA merged the Liquid Technology Division (Tuchenhagen) into the P-Segment.

2004 – GEA Process Engineering Segment of GEA (also known as the P-Segment) has aqcuired GEA Colby. GEA Colby has the experience, resources and components required to build state-of-the-art powder handling systems. Coupled with our extensive knowledge of powder packing equipment, this enables GEA Colby to provide genuine 'turn key' solutions for customers' needs. With this acquisition a new business group, GEA Powder Systems, has been born - uniting the-state-of-the-art technologies of GEA Avapac, Sapac and GEA Colby.

2004 – GEA Process Engineering Segment of GEA has acquired Diessel GmbH & Co., and renamed the company GEA Diessel GmbH. The GEA Diessel activities (fermentation systems, bioreactors, in-line blending systems, fermentors, etc.) will be handled by the GEA Liquid Processing Division of Niro Inc. in the USA.

2004 – GEA Process Engineering Segment of GEA has acquired Messo-Chemietechnik GmbH. The Niro Inc. business group, GEA Evaporation Technologies, will handle these activities in North America.

2004 – ISP and Niro form strategic alliance to develop and sell technology that enhances drug bioavailability. As part of the agreement, ISP has acquired Niro's Pharmaceutical Technology Center (PTC) as well as Niro Inc.'s formulation development group.

2005 – mg technologies ag renamed as GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft.

2005 – The Niro Inc.'s homogenizer business group GEA Niro Soavi becomes an independant company, GEA Niro Soavi North America. A new organization has been established to strengthen the GEA Group's focus on high-pressure pumps and homogenizers. Niro Inc. will continue to handle all homogenizer inquires related to pharmaceutical and biotechnology applications.

2005 – GEA Process Engineering Segment of GEA has acquired STERIS GmbH, and renamed the company GEA Lyophil GmbH. The GEA Lyophil activities (lyophilizers and accessories to lyophilization systems) will be handled by the GEA Pharma Systems in the USA.

2006 – GEA Process Engineering Segment of GEA has acquired Huppmann to further strengthen the portfolio to the brewery industry. In the US, the Huppmann activities (brewhouses, refrigeration plants, CO2 recovery systems, energy recovery plants, process control and automation systems) will be handled by Niro's GEA Liquid Processing group in Hudson, WI.

2007 – Process Engineering Segment of GEA has acquired Procomac S.p.A. - Procomacis is a company that develops, manufactures, and installs filling lines for beverages and food products worldwide. The combination of Procomac's excellent filling and packaging technology with GEA Group's process engineering capabilities gives the GEA Group the ability to deliver an even more attractive integrated solution for the beverage industry. GEA Procomac is headquartered near Parma, Italy. In the US, GEA Procomac is located in McKinney, TX.

2008 – Niro Inc.'s name is changed to GEA Process Engineering Inc.