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History
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P. J. Noyes Company was founded in 1868 by pharmacist Parker J. Noyes, who settled in Lancaster after serving as a Lieutenant in the Civil War. He opened an apothecary and began manufacturing various drugs in powder, pill, liquid and ointment forms. These medicines were sold to physicians throughout New England, who in turn dispensed them to their patients. |
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Noyes brought the first electricity to Lancaster in 1885, and invented some of the first automated tablet manufacturing and coating machinery. At the turn of the century P. J. Noyes Company was one of the largest drug manufacturers in the country, even publishing and printing its own magazine. According to the 1902 catalog, "Noyes Pectoral Syrup with Heroin should be placed at the head of cough remedies, as its sales far exceed all others combined." |
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Parker J. Noyes 1896 |
"There is but one straight road to success, and that is merit."
-Parker J. Noyes, 1887 |
| After Noyes's death in 1912, the company was owned and managed for almost fifty years by Mr. James Dow. During this time Noyes medicines maintained a loyal clientele in New England, but the company did not adapt well to changing distribution channels and new regulatory requirements; consequently, virtually all production of prescription products ceased. |
| During the 1960s and 1970s, Noyes developed a line of specialized foods for laboratory animal research which were produced in tablet form, using pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment. These "Noyes pellets" became the standard food reward for behavioral research in psychology, and were later adapted for a wide range of studies in nutrition, neuroscience, medical research and the NASA space program. |
Noyes Begins Manufacturing 1890-1900 |
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In 1985, David and Sarah Hill and family purchased the company and reinvigorated the laboratory animal food business, while strengthening the company's contract manufacturing capabilities. The Hills saw a need among marketing companies in the pharmaceutical and nutritional industries for high quality, small scale contract manufacturing services, and decided to focus the company's resources on fulfilling that need. The laboratory animal food business was sold in 2001, and today the company is dedicated solely to serving its contract manufacturing customers. These customers range in size from sole proprieterships to multinational corporations. Products made at P.J. Noyes Company can now be found in all major domestic retail outlets, and on many shelves around the world. |
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View in the Milling Room, circa 1901. |
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View in the Percolating Room,
circa 1901. |
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View in the Tablet-Making Room, circa 1901. |
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