Avantor
Avantor is a global supplier of mission-critical materials, chemicals, laboratory products, and services for biotechnology, pharmaceutical, healthcare, and advanced research markets.
Last updated October 17, 2026
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Overview
Avantor is a United States-based life-science and specialty-materials company whose products and services support laboratory research, pharmaceutical development, biopharmaceutical manufacturing, healthcare, and other highly regulated technical applications. Although the Avantor name dates from 2010, the business traces its origins to J.T. Baker, a chemical company founded in 1904 by John Townsend Baker. J.T. Baker built its reputation by supplying chemically pure reagents and by publishing detailed analytical information about trace impurities. Its Baker Analyzed labeling became an important expression of the company’s emphasis on consistency, purity, and documentation. The original chemical business expanded substantially during and after the Second World War. It supplied products including penicillin-related materials, pesticides, battery chemicals, and munitions-related chemicals during the wartime period. After the war, the company broadened its portfolio into high-purity solvents, chromatography products, and hazardous-material spill-control products. Ownership changed several times. J.T. Baker was acquired by Vick Chemical Company in 1941; Richardson-Vicks and J.T. Baker were later sold to Procter & Gamble in 1985, and the business subsequently passed to Mallinckrodt in 1995. New Mountain Capital acquired Mallinckrodt Baker Inc. in 2010 and renamed it Avantor. Under the new identity, the company pursued an international and platform-oriented expansion strategy. Acquisitions included Indian laboratory-reagent supplier RFCL and Polish laboratory-supply company POCH in 2011, Nusil Technology in 2016, Puritan Products in 2017, and VWR in the same year. The VWR combination significantly broadened Avantor’s laboratory distribution, procurement, and supply-chain capabilities. VWR and the vwr.com channel continued to be used commercially after the combination, while the overall business operated under the Avantor name. Avantor’s scope now extends beyond catalog chemicals. Its portfolio includes laboratory reagents and consumables, specialty chemicals, single-use bioprocess systems, chromatography and filtration products, custom and blended materials, and services supporting research and production workflows. The company serves customers in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, healthcare, education, government, environmental, and industrial sectors. Its positioning emphasizes reliable supply, high-purity materials, regulatory support, technical expertise, and integration into customers’ critical processes rather than consumer-facing brand recognition. The company went public on the New York Stock Exchange in May 2019 under the ticker AVTR. It has continued to invest in scientific infrastructure, including an innovation center in Shanghai focused on monoclonal antibodies and cell and gene therapy, and an expansion of its Bridgewater, New Jersey innovation center. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Avantor supplied raw materials and services to manufacturers of vaccines and other therapies. It added employees and production shifts for synthetic lipids used in lipid nanoparticles that deliver mRNA into cells. Avantor also expanded its bioprocess manufacturing footprint through the 2021 acquisition of China’s RIM Bio, gaining a Changzhou facility that produces single-use bags and assemblies for biopharmaceutical manufacturing. The company’s history thus reflects a transition from a legacy reagent producer into a broad multinational life-science supply and services platform. Its primary strategic importance lies in supplying materials, equipment, and technical infrastructure that support research and the manufacture of medicines and other complex biological products.
History
Avantor’s corporate history begins with J.T. Baker, founded in 1904 by John Townsend Baker as a producer of chemically pure reagents. The company differentiated itself through analytical precision and product documentation. Its Baker Analyzed labels identified trace impurities, while the publication The Chemist-Analyst, launched in 1911, communicated the company’s technical standards and product philosophy. Following Baker’s death in 1935, the company was acquired by Vick Chemical Company in 1941. During the Second World War, J.T. Baker broadened its output to include materials associated with penicillin, pesticides, batteries, and munitions. In the postwar period it developed additional lines in high-purity solvents, chromatography columns, and hazardous-waste spill kits. These moves established a foundation in both laboratory chemicals and specialized industrial materials. In 1985, J.T. Baker and parent Richardson-Vicks were sold to Procter & Gamble. The business later changed ownership again when it was sold to Mallinckrodt in 1995. New Mountain Capital acquired Mallinckrodt Baker Inc. in 2010 and renamed the company Avantor. The rebranding marked an effort to create a broader international life-science platform rather than retain an identity centered on one historical chemical label. Avantor expanded internationally through the 2011 purchases of RFCL in India and POCH in Poland. It acquired Nusil Technology in 2016, adding capabilities in specialty materials. In 2017, it acquired Puritan Products and VWR. The VWR transaction was particularly significant because it added a large laboratory-supply distribution and services business. VWR remained a commercial channel and brand presence, including through vwr.com, while the combined enterprise operated as Avantor. The company went public in May 2019 on the New York Stock Exchange. Around the same period, it opened an innovation center in Shanghai focused on monoclonal antibodies and cell and gene therapy, complementing its established research infrastructure. In 2020, Avantor doubled the size of its Bridgewater, New Jersey innovation center, increasing research, development, and cell-and-gene-therapy reagent manufacturing capacity. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted Avantor’s role as a supplier to pharmaceutical and biotechnology production. The company provided raw materials and services to vaccine and therapy manufacturers, added employees and shifts, and increased synthetic-lipid output. Synthetic lipids are used in lipid nanoparticles that transport mRNA into human cells. In June 2021, Avantor acquired RIM Bio, a Chinese producer of single-use bags and assemblies for biopharmaceutical manufacturing. The deal provided access to RIM Bio’s Changzhou facility and represented Avantor’s first single-use production plant in the Africa, Middle East, and Asia region. It also supported a broader plan to enlarge Avantor’s single-use manufacturing footprint. Avantor’s present identity combines legacy reagent manufacturing, specialty chemicals, laboratory distribution, and bioprocessing infrastructure. The business serves research laboratories and industrial customers as well as manufacturers of medicines and biological therapies. Its evolution has been driven by ownership changes, international acquisitions, integration of distribution capabilities, and investment in materials and equipment used in increasingly complex life-science workflows.
- 2021
RIM Bio acquisition
[1]Avantor acquires RIM Bio and adds a Changzhou, China facility for single-use bioprocess products.
- 2020
Innovation-center expansion and pandemic response
[1]Avantor expands its Bridgewater innovation center and increases production of materials used in COVID-19 vaccine and therapy manufacturing.
- 2019
Initial public offering
[1]Avantor lists its shares on the New York Stock Exchange under AVTR.
- 2017
Puritan Products and VWR acquisitions
[1]Avantor acquires a chemical-blending business and VWR, substantially expanding its laboratory distribution platform.
- 2016
Nusil Technology merger
[1]Avantor combines with Nusil Technology, expanding its specialty-materials capabilities.
- 2011
International expansion through RFCL and POCH
[1]Avantor acquires laboratory-supply businesses in India and Poland.
- 2010
Avantor name adopted
[1]New Mountain Capital acquires Mallinckrodt Baker Inc., which is renamed Avantor.
- 1995
The business is sold to Mallinckrodt
[1]Mallinckrodt acquires the J.T. Baker business.
- 1985
Richardson-Vicks and J.T. Baker are sold to Procter & Gamble
[1]The business changes ownership as part of the sale of Richardson-Vicks and J.T. Baker to Procter & Gamble.
- 1941
Acquisition by Vick Chemical Company
[1]J.T. Baker is acquired by Vick Chemical Company.
Products and positioning
A global, quality-focused supplier of mission-critical materials, equipment, and services used throughout laboratory research, drug discovery, biopharmaceutical development, and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Laboratory reagents · 1904
J.T. Baker laboratory chemicals
The J.T. Baker line is Avantor’s historical laboratory-chemical franchise. It is associated with high-purity reagents, analytical chemicals, solvents, and documented impurity specifications. The brand’s longstanding emphasis on analytical consistency supports applications in research, quality control, pharmaceutical development, and regulated laboratory work.
Laboratory distribution and consumables · 2017
VWR laboratory supplies
VWR provides laboratory supplies, consumables, equipment, and procurement access for research and production customers. Following Avantor’s acquisition of VWR, the VWR name and vwr.com channel remained important commercial routes to market. The offering broadens Avantor beyond manufactured chemicals into laboratory sourcing and workflow support.
Biopharmaceutical manufacturing equipment
Single-use bioprocess systems
Avantor supplies single-use bags, assemblies, and related bioprocess components used in biopharmaceutical manufacturing. These products are designed for disposable process flows that can reduce cleaning requirements and support flexible production. The acquisition of RIM Bio added manufacturing capacity in China and strengthened Avantor’s presence in the AMEA region.
Laboratory and bioprocessing equipment
Chromatography and filtration products
Avantor’s portfolio includes chromatography columns, media, filtration products, and related materials used to separate, purify, and analyze chemicals and biological substances. These products support laboratory research as well as pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical process development and manufacturing.
Biopharmaceutical raw materials
Synthetic lipids
Synthetic lipids are among the materials Avantor produced at increased capacity during the COVID-19 response. They are used in lipid nanoparticles, delivery systems that help transport mRNA into human cells. This product area connects Avantor’s specialty-chemical capabilities with emerging vaccine and nucleic-acid-therapy manufacturing.
Controversies
2020
Acetic anhydride and the Mexican opioid supply chain
Bloomberg reporting identified acetic anhydride supplied by Avantor and other companies as a chemical used by illicit drug producers to convert opium into heroin. The reporting raised questions about sales into Mexico, including the suitability of large containers for ordinary uses and the effectiveness of regulatory controls. Avantor stopped selling acetic anhydride in Mexico and destroyed remaining inventory. In 2021, U.S. Senator John Cornyn and other senators criticized the company’s apparent role in supplying a chemical connected to the opioid epidemic.
Brand decisions
2021
Acquire RIM BioM&ABackground
Avantor aimed to expand its single-use bioprocess manufacturing footprint, particularly in the AMEA region.
Action taken
Avantor acquired RIM Bio, a Chinese manufacturer of single-use bioprocess bags and assemblies, including its Changzhou facility.
Aftermath
The transaction gave Avantor its first single-use production plant in the AMEA region and supported further expansion of its manufacturing network.
2020
Increase pandemic-related supply capacityStrategyBackground
Demand increased for materials and services used in vaccines and other therapies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Action taken
Avantor added employees and production shifts and increased capacity for synthetic lipids used in lipid nanoparticles.
Aftermath
The company became a supplier to manufacturers working on vaccines and other COVID-19 therapies.
2020
Withdraw acetic anhydride from MexicoOtherBackground
Reports connected acetic anhydride sold in Mexico with illicit heroin production and raised concerns about the company’s distribution controls.
Action taken
Avantor discontinued all sales of acetic anhydride in Mexico and destroyed its remaining inventory there.
Aftermath
The decision followed public scrutiny and later criticism from U.S. lawmakers regarding chemical suppliers’ contribution to the opioid epidemic.
2019
Initial public offeringOtherBackground
After a period of ownership changes and acquisition-led expansion, Avantor moved to the public equity markets.
Action taken
Avantor completed an initial public offering and began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under AVTR.
Aftermath
The listing established Avantor as a publicly traded life-science and specialty-materials company.
Initial public offering size. $3.8 billion (May 2019)
2017
Acquire VWR and Puritan ProductsM&ABackground
Avantor sought to broaden its portfolio from specialty chemicals and reagents into laboratory distribution, supplies, and chemical blending.
Action taken
The company acquired VWR and Puritan Products. VWR and its online channel continued to operate as a commercial route under the broader Avantor organization.
Aftermath
The transactions expanded Avantor’s laboratory supply-chain reach and increased its ability to serve customers across research, healthcare, and biopharmaceutical production.
Recent events
- 2021
Avantor acquires RIM Bio[1]
M&A
The acquisition added a China-based manufacturer of single-use bioprocess bags and assemblies and gave Avantor its first single-use production plant in the AMEA region.
- 2020
Avantor expands COVID-19 supply and manufacturing support[1]
Other
During the COVID-19 response, Avantor supplied materials and services to vaccine and therapy manufacturers and increased production capacity for synthetic lipids used in mRNA delivery systems.
- 2019
Avantor completes initial public offering[1]
Other
Avantor became publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AVTR.
Sources6 sources
- 1Avantoren.wikipedia.org
- 2Antylia Scientific™ announces the Sale of Masterflex® Bioprocessing to Avantor for $2.9 Billionprnewswire.com
- 3Avantor Acquires RIM Bio; Expands Bioproduction Footprint into Chinajcnnewswire.com
- 4Avantor® Appoints Tommy Thomas as Vice President, Investor Relationsprnewswire.com
- 5Avantor® Completes Acquisition of Masterflex®prnewswire.com
- 6Avantor® Completes Acquisition of Ritter GmbH and its Affiliatesprnewswire.com
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