Page 5 - Pharmacy History 32 July 2007

George ‘Rich’ Nicholas (1884-1960)
George Nicholas started in 1915 from a humble pharmacy. In a primitive makeshift laboratory
he reproduced the synthesis of acetylsalicylic acid, ‘Aspirin’, a well established product sold world-wide by Bayer of Germany. Nicholas did not aim at scientific achievement;
his was clearly an endeavour to create a business based on import replacement and encouraged by the opportunity of wartime disruption of supplies. Nicholas was encouraged by Billy Hughes, then Attorney General, who had suspended – not confiscated – Bayer’s proprietary rights, in particular the trademark Aspirin and who had promised to grant these rights to anyone who could meet the required standards
of purity. To experienced chemists the reproduction of the German synthesis would not have posed formidable obstacles, but Nicholas was a pharmacist, had no equipment and no resources. Yet, eventually with the help of a consultant (HW Smith) he produced, ‘Australian Aspirin purer than German’ as Billy Hughes asserted proudly when he issued the licence to use the Bayer trademark. George Richard ‘Rich’ Nicholas CBE From the outset George Nicholas showed determination to exploit
the void created by the exclusion of
Bayer from international markets during and after the First World War. Early on in his career he recognised the pillars on which successful pharmaceutical manufacture rests
– an outstanding product, owned exclusively or at least secured by
a good trademark; international marketing of the product; effective promotion and, most difficult of all, generation of a succession of good products. While these characteristics may not have been as clear as they are now in hindsight, his actions testify to his vision. He saw the value of the trademark Aspirin and with the Australianised version of Aspro had the best of both worlds – a
George Richard Nicholas CBE
familiar sound and an independent mark. He used – tolerated – his, market manager’s flamboyant, even crude advertising and pushed into international markets at a very early stage – 1925/6 into the UK, initially with supplies from Australia and from 1927 with manufacture in the UK; from there into South Africa (1928), Belgium (1929), Egypt and France (1935, with manufacture there from 1937) and from Australia into New Zealand, Indonesia and Malaya, even Congo, Morocco, Iraq etc. However, Aspro never penetrated the most important market of all,
the USA and did not do very well in Bayer’s home territory, Germany.
In 1981 Nicholas International strengthened its links with consumer products by merging with KIWI. In 1984 Nicholas-KIWI sold its overseas business to an American consumer product company and in 1986
it took the final step and sold its remaining Pacific region operations to the same company now known as Sara Lee.
Nicholas clearly saw the importance of product innovation. In 1928/30 he started a separate manufacturing company for salicylates, Monsanto Southern Cross, together with Monsanto UK, to gain access to Monsanto corporate know-how. He
volume 3 ■ no 32 ■ JULY 2007
Pharmacy History Australia ■ 5