The Foundation

Anton Borer establishes PMC – Produkte für Medizin und Chemie in Solothurn. He acquires the licensing rights for the production and distribution of a laboratory glass cleaner for Switzerland, Germany, Scandinavia, and the Far East.

First Company Location

The first products are manufactured in a former hair salon.

detex® 11

detex® 11, is a cleaner for laboratory glassware. Initial customers include university laboratories and major Basel-based chemical companies. The number "11" in the product name represents the "sacred number of Solothurn."

From detex® to deconex®

Due to trademark registration difficulties, detex® 11 is renamed deconex® 11. The brand is subsequently registered and protected in 17 countries.

First Export Order

Just two years after its founding, the company expands beyond Europe: the first delivery is made to Israel.

Filling a Market Gap

glisseal, a drip-free and silicone-free laboratory grease, ensures perfectly gas-tight ground joint connections, even under high vacuum. An essential innovation for demanding laboratories, ideally complementing the deconex® 11 cleaner.

All Under One Roof

The company headquarters in Biberist unites Borer Chemie AG and Borer Electronics AG under one roof and serves as the home of Anton Borer and his family.

Transition to Borer Chemie AG

The sole proprietorship PMC – Produkte für Medizin und Chemie becomes a public limited company, laying the foundation for structured development.

New Facility in Zuchwil

With the move to the new headquarters at Gewerbestrasse 13 in Zuchwil, the company paves the way for further growth. Around 800 m² of production, storage, and office space become available.

First Product Developed In-House

With deconex® 12PA, Borer Chemie launches its first internally developed product. The cleaner is mildly alkaline, making it particularly suitable for cleaning delicate laboratory glassware.

Diversification into Industrial Applications

Our expertise in residue-free cleaning of laboratory glass enables us to diversify into various industrial applications – from precision cleaning in the watch industry and optics to the emerging LCD technology sector.

The establishment of the Borer Industry business unit marks the beginning of Borer Chemie's sector-oriented organisation.

Establishment of Business Unit Borer Medical

Our deconex® products find applications in hospitals, leading to the development and successful launch of the first products for medical instrument reprocessing.

Facility Expansion - Phase I

Growing demand and an expanding product portfolio necessitate the enlargement of production, storage, and office space. Anton Borer largely designs and realises a new raw materials warehouse and the first automatic mixing plant himself.

Fully Automated Mixing Plant

The computer-controlled mixing plant, designed by Anton Borer, represents a pioneering innovation. Interest in this technological advancement is substantial – a delegation from Mitsubishi in Japan even visits to inspect the system, which features Mitsubishi PLC and fibre optic technology.

Borer goes global

With the expansion of international sales, Borer Chemie extends its reach beyond Western Europe to Asian and Eastern European markets.

Flexibility through Semi-Finished Goods Storage

To ensure timely global deliveries, products are labelled just-in-time according to customer and destination specifications. The number of label languages exceeds 20.

Entry into the Optcis Industry

Findings from an extensive study on aqueous cleaning of optical glass are presented to an international audience in the journal Optical World, gaining widespread recognition and opening doors to the global optics industry.

Launch of Hand and Surface Disinfectants

Borer Chemie introduces decosept® for surgical and hygienic hand disinfection, as well as deconex® SOLARSEPT for rapid surface disinfection.

Introducing deconex® 28 ALKA ONE

This highly alkaline cleaning chemistry for automated instrument reprocessing is the first product with proven efficacy against prions, which can cause prion diseases such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).

Facility Expansion - Phase II 

The existing building reaches capacity. The "North-West Extension" adds 300 m² of laboratory space, 300 m² of production area, and 800 m² of storage space.

Retirement of the Company Founder

In 2005, pioneer, visionary, and company founder Anton Borer retires, handing over operational leadership of Borer Chemie AG to René Jordi, who serves as CEO for the next five years.

Borer Chemie (Shanghai) Ltd.

The Borer family expands: with the founding of the subsidiary in China, we respond to the dynamic development of the Asian market. Raymond W. Hu is appointed Managing Director of Borer Chemie (Shanghai) Ltd.

Advanced Cleaning Solutions

A revised brand strategy strengthens our position as an innovation leader in advanced cleaning and disinfection. Our brand identity embodies the corporate mission: creating added value for our customers

New Logistics Centre

With increasing demand, infrastructure also grows: the new logistics centre in Zuchwil facilitates storage, order picking, and shipping. Two truck docks ensure efficient and seamless processing.

Leadership Transition to the Second Generation

Following successful leadership in various business areas, Dr Markus Borer takes over the family business. As part of this restructuring, Borer Holding is established, and company shares are transferred to the three sons of Anton Borer.

New Business Unit: Borer Life Sciences

By merging the laboratory and pharmaceutical sectors, the Life Sciences business unit is created. This consolidated expertise opens new markets and brings new customers, including in active ingredient production.

Half a Century of Borer Chemie

Together with employees, customers, partners, the owner family, and the board of directors, we proudly celebrate 50 years of Borer Chemie.

Borer Chemie Deutschland GmbH

With a team of 11 experienced specialists in instrument reprocessing, who have been successfully active in Germany for many years, our German subsidiary is launched. Thanks to their expertise and in-depth market knowledge, Borer Germany quickly established itself in the market.

Establishment of Business Unit Hygiene

With the growing importance of hygiene in hospitals and the increasing demands for specialist knowledge in surface and hand hygiene, the Hygiene Business Unit is established as an independent division.

Borer Competence Center

A place of innovation and expertise, embodying our values in both architecture and function. In addition to administration and sales, the building houses our one-of-a-kind Test and Training Centre, which is unique in Europe. This is a space where innovation, training, and research come together, enabling us to contribute to the advancement of cleaning technology in close collaboration with equipment manufacturers, customers, and partners.

Expansion of Manufacturing Infrastructure

A new fully automated filling line with a capacity of approximately 9,500 litres per shift is put into operation. This not only results in a significant increase in output but also enables a 40% reduction in the existing machine park.