A Future That Began With Spices
When MGK® was founded in 1902 by Alexander McLaughlin, its principal business was grinding spices such as cinnamon and pepper, as well as plant leaves, barks, fruits, and flowers used in pharmaceuticals. In 1908, the firm was incorporated with partners George King and John Gormley. By 1915, MGK was importing a variety of botanicals, including pyrethrum, and providing its customers with products of consistent and assured quality. Natural Pyrethrum
In the 1920s MGK hired Charles Gnadinger, a chemist with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, to conduct investigations into the standardization and MGK's work on refining, of pyrethrum. Because of Gnadinger‘s brilliant work on extraction, MGK consistently offers high-quality pyrethrum-based insecticides suitable for household and industrial pest control. Synthetic Pyrethroids
After World War II, MGK began to develop products with synthetic pyrethroids; complementing our pyrethrum products. The company aquired rights to the synergist MGK® 264, which enhances the activity of insecticide ingredients and allows their use at reduced levels. MGK also developed a variety of insect and animal repellents widely used in consumer and industrial products. New Answers
MGK pursues new answers to insect control with internal research projects as well as sponsorship of others at universities and institutions. Advanced pest control methods minimizing environmental impact while meeting control requirements hold great promise for the future. And that is where MGK plans to be — at the forefront. Customer Focus
Teamwork is a natural extension of life at MGK. Management, marketing, and R&D combine resources to provide customers with unparalleled service. Customer-focused teams respond quickly to customer needs with such technical services as:
Product development
Product analysis
Biological testing
Custom formulations
Registration support
Product testing including shelf life, biological efficacy and stability
Finished goods packaging
The “Three T’s”
Success requires talent, teamwork and tenure — the “three t’s”. MGK attracts people for the long term — managers and executives; marketing, production, and research associates; chemists and entomologists — who see their careers as one with MGK. MGK’s Leadership
From management to mailroom, MGK people do more than work for their company — they make the company work. So successfully in fact, that MGK continues to serve the industry as a principal supplier of non-agricultural insecticides and repellents in North America. The success of a company is generally measured by its “bottom line” — sales, profit, assets. But these quantitative yardsticks are more often a reflection of another yardstick, the qualitative measure of those who work for a company — attitudes, abilities, commitment. Four Generations
Four generations of family management have guided MGK since its founding in 1902. This long tradition of stability and continuity is a major reason why MGK has earned the respect of the business and scientific communities. The twenty-first century will present numerous opportunities and challenges for our industry. From new regulatory enactments, to new competitive forces, to rapidly evolving insect species (and perhaps new species); change will be a constant. MGK is prepared to meet the future of unique challenges. This is our legacy, and our strategy for continued success.
