New opportunities for Laboratoire Mergens SA in Crissier
Created in October 1993, the Mergens Laboratory developed continuously until the arrival of Covid in 2020. At that time, the company had 23 distributors in as many countries, in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and China.
Covid and the periods of crises that followed (war in Ukraine and the Middle East) have somewhat slowed down the distribution of products as well as many countries where these products were distributed.
Between consistency and resilience, confident in the quality and interest of its products, the laboratory has worked to create new outlets in South America, Africa, and China.
In Africa, a special program, in collaboration with the NGO IDA, was presented, in February 2023, to the Minister of Health and Public Hygiene of Côte d’Ivoire, His Excellency Mr. Pierre Dimba. The aim of this program is to promote the fight against child malnutrition in Africa. This program is still in the process of being approved in Abidjan.
In Asia, a partnership with the company La Soleil in Neuchâtel, which specialises in creating links between Chinese and Swiss companies, aims to reopen the Chinese market to the laboratory’s products, in particular dermo-cosmetics products. During 2023 and 2024, several contacts took place with potential Chinese distributors.
At the same time, in order to expand its geographical presence in particular towards the Americas, Laboratoire Mergens has mandated two local agents, one in Brazil and a second in Colombia, to find distributors for the South and Central American markets. The mandate given to his agent for Colombia and Venezuela has led to the signing of several contracts.
25.10.2022 Signing of a distribution contract with the company Gondomed, Caracas, Venezuela for the distribution of dietary supplements. Gondomed is one of the leading distributors of medical products and dietary supplements in the Venezuelan market.
07.11.2023 Signing of a distribution contract with the company Casa de Representaciones Labs 2023 SA C.A., Bogotá, D.C., for the distribution of dietary supplements in the Colombian market. The activity of Casa de Representaciones Labs 2023 is the wholesale of pharmaceutical products and medicinal products.
26.08.2024 Signing of a distribution contract with the company Representaciones FH S.A.S, Bogotá D.C., for the distribution of pedia nutrition (powdered milk) on the Colombian market. The activity of the company Representaciones FH S.A.S is the processing and preservation of fruits, vegetables and tubers.
01.10.2024 Signing of a distribution agreement with Laboratorio Kyron Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Bogotá D.C., for the distribution of pedia nutrition (milk powder), food supplements, dermo-cosmetic products and medical devices. Together with its subsidiary Coaspharma, Kyron represents 75% of the distribution of medical and paramedical products in the pharmacy market in Colombia.
For Laboratoire Mergens, all of these contracts are expected to generate several million CHF per year, starting in 2024.
Other Central American markets are in negotiations with the company Farma Nova for the distribution of dermo-cosmetic products in Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.
At the same time, the company negotiated new manufacturing contracts with potential suppliers in Switzerland and Europe.
For example, the manufacture of food supplements and medical devices was entrusted to MicrosTech SA in Trimbach, a GMP-qualified company (i.e. producing at a pharma quality level). Thanks to this contract, Laboratoire Mergens also benefits from the “made in Switzerland” label for these products.
On the other hand, dermo-cosmetics remained with the reference partner Alpol in Château Gaillard (France), whose rigor and seriousness in the development and manufacture of cosmetic products is constant.
The pedia-nutrition (colostrum, milk powder) was entrusted to the company SHN, sklep milk in Nakło n. Notecią (Poland).