Why Millpledge

Derek Carthew establishes the company that would become known as Millpledge Pharmaceuticals, partnering with Graham Cheslyn-Curtis.

Graham Cheslyn-Curtis acquires the old Whinleys Estate Farm in Nottinghamshire and together Graham and Slim set up the Millpledge HQ.

Millpledge Pharmaceuticals becomes Millpledge Limited but continues to trade under the Pharmaceuticals brand. Millpledge receives its first wholesaler dealers license from the MHRA.

After several successful years of the company specialising in generic pharmaceuticals Slim and Graham decided to expand the business portfolio into a wider range of products.

Graham a former Civil Engineer, turned his hand to designing and building a series of fabric coating lines alongside Dave Cheshire also an engineer. The product range quickly expanded to include stretch bandages and tapes, fixation tapes, dressings and other textile products.

Manufacturing, warehousing and distribution site opens in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire.

Millpledge begins designing and manufacturing specific medical device items for veterinary professionals. In addition, Millpledge starts manufacturing Vet-Lubigel™ an obstetric lubricant for livestock and general use.

Millpledge Pharmaceuticals attends its first BSAVA congress. Millpledge started its own delivery services running four delivery vans on a two-three day delivery service nationwide.

Millpledge develops its own Veterinary CRM and stock control system which helped maintain its customer relationships and delivery schedules.

Millpledge re-built an old cattle barn known as the ‘Black Barn’ at HQ which became its primary warehouse and distribution point for the veterinary pharmaceuticals and disposable veterinary devices.

Millpledge acquired DMS in South Wales which manufactured bespoke surgical procedure packs for the NHS and private Healthcare companies.

Millpledge acquires Leverton & Co a Livestock, Equine and production animal product-focused business.

Millpledge acquires PRM Medical who’s product lines included PPE and surgical instruments

Millpledge opens its dedicated in-house design, labelling and IT team.

Millpledge acquires Ken Anderson Ltd who manufactured ribbon gauze, gauze rolls, gauze folding and moved the weaving and loom machinery to Gainsborough, Lincolnshire.

Millpledge incorporates Millpledge Systems Ltd, an engineering arm of the Group which designed and developed its own plastic moulds and moulded plastic parts for its products. The Millpledge systems team went on to further develop additional coating, spreading, weaving and bandage cutting, laminating, folding machines and our Eco-Drape™ rolling and cutting machinery.

Millpledge acquires RGF Surface Protection Ltd which was incorporated in to Millpledge systems as a heavy, industrial engineering arm to the Group.

Following the start of the pharmaceutical cascade system in the UK, Millpledge was successful in obtaining the veterinary licenses for Prednisolone BP Vet and Furosemide BP Vet tablets at the same time Millpledge is accredited with GMP certification and a home office controlled drugs license.

Yarsley accredits Millpledge with its first quality management system BS 5750

now known as ISO 9001 which it still maintains to this day. At the same time, Millpledge also acquires the ability to ‘kite mark’ its product which became the CE mark accreditation or ISO 13485 for Class I medical devices which following Brexit is now UKCA.

The Millpledge Pharmaceuticals brand becomes Millpledge Veterinary, so the business relates more to its customers with its wider range of products and services.

Millpledge acquires two steam sterilisers and installs them at its Gainsborough facility to sterilise procedure packs for the NHS.

Millpledge achieves Class J Cleanroom validation at its Gainsborough, Lincolnshire site allowing it to pack orthopaedic implant products for use in the human healthcare market.

Millpledge Healthcare the human-focused business of the Group starts manufacturing bandages and dressings in private label for Robinson Healthcare, Smith & Nephew and a handful of overseas government organisations.

Millpledge Healthcare becomes the largest supplier of crepe bandages to the UK NHS

Millpledge designs its own veterinary-specific range of IV fluid sets and accessories. Branded ‘Animill’ it launched at the BVNA congress. Over the coming years, it continues to expand with further additions to the range including needle-free sets, UV-protecting IVs and the AniSet Anti-Kink® tubing.

Millpledge acquired Robert Bailey PLC first incorporated in 1912. One of the oldest UK manufacturers of cotton products such as cotton wool rolls, eye pads, gauze covered cotton roll which also allowed the Millpledge Systems team to modify machinery to allow it to manufacture Poultex® poultice and dressing pads launched soon after.

Millpledge incorporates Millpledge Healthcare Supplies (Suzhou) China and starts to move some of its UK textile manufacturing machinery commissioning the production lines soon after.

Millpledge launches ‘Wrapz’ high performance cohesive bandages as an enviable competitor to the established brands. Original colours are quickly followed by the new Camo and Splash designs.

Millpledge Veterinary BVBA was established in Wingene, Belgium to supply customers with Millpledge products throughout Belgium, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

Rapz Funny Farm® and Wild is added to the Rapz range increasing the bandages popularity with its distinctive character designs and animal prints.

Derek ‘Slim’ Carthew passes away on 3^rd April after a very successful career in the animal health industry throughout which he was so well known and admired. Slim’s leadership, his love for Great Danes and exotics alike and his teachings remain as a defining undercurrent to our direction and outlook of providing better patient outcomes.

Millpledge North America Inc. opened offices in Los Angeles, California and continues to supply US veterinary hospitals with Millpledge branded products and supplies. Millpledge products are carried by every regional and national US distributor.

Wrapz Chewy NoNo™ is launched. These bitter tasting bandages deter chewing and licking and introduce four new character prints.

The Canada office and distribution office and warehouse opens in Toronto, Ontario. We now serve the whole of the Canadian veterinary professional with an ever-expanding choice of Millpledge Veterinary's products.

Following a long battle with cancer, Graham Cheslyn-Curtis passes away on 22^nd February.

Graham’s vision of designing and developing more technical and practical veterinary-specific devices continues to provide the industry with improved clinical outcomes and value. Graham’s love of travel from a very young age led to the expansion of Millpledge’s international footprint throughout which he mentored a core team to continue the business development.

Millpledge Europe BV receives Marketing Authorisations for Prednizol® and Furosivet® veterinary pharmaceuticals allowing it to market and sell these long-standing products to vets in the approved EU markets.

Millpledge launches a new-look website.

Millpledge’s quality team achieve UKCA and EU MDR accreditation and registration for its human use Class I medical devices allowing is to continue to fulfil private labelled Human devices for EU-based clients.

Millpledge Veterinary launches Anifusion® and Anifusion® Cloud the first veterinary-designed IV pump and Cloud infusion reporting system.