Virbac Corporation - Introduction

Introduction

3200 Meacham Boulevard
Fort Worth, Texas 76137
U.S.A.
Telephone: (817) 831-5030
Fax: (817) 831-8327
Web site: http://www.virbaccorp.com

Public Company
Incorporated: 1987 as Virbac Inc.
Employees: 262
Sales: $67.1 million (2003)
Stock Exchanges: Pink Sheets
Ticker Symbol: VBAC
NAIC: 325412 Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing

Virbac Corporation is a Fort Worth, Texas-based manufacturer of health and pet-care products, primarily for cats and dogs, such as shampoos and skin care products, dental products, vitamins and supplements, medicated feed additives, flea and tick products, wormers, ear cleaners, and hairball remedies. In addition, the company makes tropical fish products, including aquarium water conditioners and test strips. To a lesser degree, Virbac is involved in the specialty chemical business, producing rodenticides, pest control products, and home, lawn, and garden products. Virbac also offers private label and contract manufacturing services for animal health and specialty chemicals industries. The company maintains two major facilities. Its Fort Worth 127,000-square-foot operation houses manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, and office functions. Most of Virbac's products not regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are manufactured in Fort Worth. The second plant, 176,000 square feet in size, is located in Bridgeton, Missouri. Because it is an EPA and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) registered facility, it manufactures most of the company's EPA and FDA regulated products. Bridgeton also handles Virbac's contract manufacturing business. Virbac is a public company, majority owned by France-based Virbac SA. Its shares are traded on a Pink Sheets basis, due to a delisting by the NASDAQ following an accounting scandal that emerged in 2003 and resulted in the resignation of the chief executive officer and the chief financial officer, as well as a probe by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).