Dr. Homer Stryker, company founder, is born in Athens, Michigan on November 4, 1894. Dr. Stryker receives his medical degree from the University of Michigan. Dr. Stryker invents the turning frame and walking heel while completing a degree in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Michigan. Dr. Stryker begins his medical practice in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and establishes offices in Borgess Hospital. He uses a room in the basement of Borgess for research and development. This room turns out to be the first manufacturing line for the turning frame. After writing about the turning frame in the Journal of the American Medical Association and demonstrating it at the Fourth Annual American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, Dr. Stryker starts getting inquiries and accepting purchase orders. Dr. Stryker begins selling his inventions and hires his first full-time employee, Marshal Morrison. Morrison works in the Borgess basement assembling and packaging turning frames and also assists Dr. Stryker in surgery. World War II creates a heavy demand for Dr. Stryker's products. Once considered just an extension of his medical practice, Dr. Stryker's inventions - the turning frame, the cast walking heel, a surgical traction device and cast cutter _ are the first products to be offered by the Orthopedic Frame Company. Dr. Stryker incorporates his manufacturing business and holds all 5,000 shares of the company stock, which is worth $20,000. A patent is issued for Dr. Stryker's oscillating saw. The result of a late-night brainstorm, Dr. Stryker hit on an idea for a powered cast cutter. The first prototype, created on the premise that an oscillating saw blade cuts hard material but not soft surfaces, incorporated a motor from a malted milk mixer. The once long and laborious process to remove a plaster cast takes only minutes with the cast cutter. The saw cuts hard cast material but not human tissue and is the forerunner to a broad line of surgical instruments. Dr. Stryker's son, L. Lee Stryker, takes over as general manager of the Orthopedic Frame Company, which posts record earnings of $1 million. The Orthopedic Frame Company launches the revolutionary Circ-O-Lectric bed. A decade in development, the Circ-O-Lectric bed capitalizes on the legacy of the turning frame. Now with 60 employees, nearly 90% of the Company's products are a result of Dr. Stryker's ideas. Dr. Stryker retires from his medical practice and the Company name is changed to Stryker Corporation. The 1960s usher in a new era of product development with the micro reciprocating saw. Lee Stryker becomes the Company's president. Stryker International, Inc. is organized and, headed by William Laube, begins to develop sales forces in Canada and overseas. Piloting his own plane, Lee Stryker, his wife and two companions perish in a crash while on vacation in Wyoming. Lee helped boost the company to 280 employees and nearly $10 million in earnings by the time of his death. An extensive search by the Board of Directors and a unanimous decision yields Tennessee native, John Brown, as Stryker's new president and chief executive officer. John sets two goals that will significantly impact the future of the company - to take Stryker stock public and to grow 20% every year. The initial public offering of stock on the NASDAQ brings greater awareness of the Company. Thirty years after its incorporation, the Company's sales grow to $17.3 million in 1976. Stryker purchases Osteonics Corporation of New Jersey, and enters the orthopaedic implant market. Dr. Stryker dies at age 85 and John Brown becomes Stryker's Chairman. The first international direct sales office is established in Germany. Divisionalization brings focus to each of the Company's three major product groups with Stryker Medical, Stryker Surgical and Osteonics. Sales reach $36 million annually in 1980. The purchase of SynOptics provides expansion into the endoscopy business. Stryker expands into medical services by establishing Physical Therapy Incorporated. What is to become Physiotherapy Associates begins business as an outpatient provider of physical therapy in Nashville, Tennessee. Physio is started as a complement to the core businesses of Stryker. Stryker begins a long-term investment in OP-1 protein/BMP-7, developed in collaboration with Creative BioMolecules, Inc. (a company that subsequently merged into Curis, Inc.). OP-1 is a protein to grow human bone. Stryker becomes the first orthopaedic manufacturer to receive FDA acceptance to market HA-coated products. This breakthrough allows orthopaedic implantations without the use of bone cement. The acquisition of Dimso, SA opens opportunities in the spinal fixation field. RUGGED ambulance cots are introduced to expand into emergency medical services. With their distinctive yellow and black design, the first model XL helps Stryker gain quick access and success in its first non-hospital market. Stryker aquires shares of Matsumoto Medical Distribution. This partial ownership significantly strengthens business in Japan. Stryker acquires Osteo in Selzach, Switzerland. This acquisition provides Stryker entry into the orthopaedic trauma market. The Selzach facility is then expanded another 580 mē and reorganized into cell manufacturing. Stryker is listed on the New York Stock Exchange after 18 years on NASDAQ. In 1997, annual sales reach $980 million. This year also marks the 21st consecutive year of 20% EPS growth. Stryker Corporation purchases Howmedica, the orthopedic division of Pfizer Inc., for $1.65 billion. The Howmedica Osteonics division is formed, bringing together market-leading products from both companies. Howmedica's $830 million in sales nearly doubles the size of Stryker, with annual sales reaching $1.9 billion. This acquisition marks the single biggest business decision in the Company's history. Stryker becomes one of the largest players in the orthopaedic implant business and with its medical equipment and services, the Company becomes a leader in the worldwide medical technology marketplace. The Company enters the computer assisted surgical navigation market with the introduction of Neuro 1.0. Osteogenic protein (OP-1) receives regulatory approval in several countries. In 2002, annual sales reach $3.0 billion and Stryker is listed in the Fortune 500 for the first time. Stryker acquires the Dekompressor and creates the interventional pain sales force. The Dekompressor and PCD System provide Stryker entry into the interventional back pain market. Stryker acquires SpineCore, Inc. to provide future access to the spinal disc market and clinical trials are started. John Brown transitions to the single role of Chairman of the Board and Steve MacMillan becomes President and Chief Executive Officer. Stryker enters the digital imaging and electronic medical records markets through the acquisition of eTrauma. The Stryker Imaging business unit is created with 99 employees, including 29 field sales personnel. Stryker acquires Sightline Technologies, a flexible endoscopy company. The Gastrointestinal (GI) business unit is formed with 49 employees, including 35 in Haifa, Israel. Fortune magazine ranks Stryker #1 of America's most companies in medical products and equipment. In 1990, annual sales increase to $280 million. Crossfire, the first highly crosslinked polyethylene approved in the U.S. market, is introduced by Osteonics. Both Surgical Simplex P Bone Cement (non-radiopaque bone cement) and Surgical Simplex P Radiopaque Bone Cement are approved by the FDA for total hip surgery, becoming the first bone cements to receive this approval. Howmedica introduces the Exeter Cemented Hip, which many consider to represent the best clinical series in orthopaedic history. Adel Medical Limited's line of maternity room beds and hand-crafted hardwood furniture offers new advantages in single-room care. Stryker Medical purchases Adel as a complement to its existing line of labor and delivery stretchers. Capitalizing on the core company's strength in two distinct markets, John Brown divides Stryker in two. Stryker Medical retains the stretcher and bed products, while Stryker Surgical continues to develop cast cutters, bone saws and other surgical instrumentation. The separation enables the new divisions to focus resources intensely on their specialties. Stryker enters the med/surg hospital bed market with the MPS 3000 bed, offering never before seen technology to a market that experienced little innovation in recent years. The MPS (modular patient system) is now known as the Secure bed. Building on its success in stretcher engineering, Stryker develops better bed functionality, with features that still define contemporary critical care beds. Stryker acquires Bertec Medical, Canada's premier bed manufacturer. Stryker is included in the S&P 500 and is listed in the Forbes Platinum 400 for the first time. Stephen P. MacMillan joins Stryker as President and Chief Operating Officer. Stryker's annual sales top $3.6 billion. Stryker is the first to offer a fully soakable video camera. Stryker launches the first 3-chip medical video camera. Stryker is the first to offer a video Endosuite OR. Endoscopy is the first to launch a digital capture unit called SDC. Endoscopy is the first to offer HERMES voice integration and Infravision, an infrared technology. Stryker acquires Infomedix, a medical image communication (or telemedecine) company and forms the Communications business unit. Endoscopy develops the Stryker device control system, SIDNE, the first non-discrete voice recognition device, and becomes a booms and lights manufacturer. Endoscopy launches the world's first medical HD camera and high definition visualization platform offering, along with the Switchpoint Infinity Control System. It also expands into the urology market. Endoscopy receives the #2 Best Place to Work in the Bay Area award. The first wireless foot pedal is launched. Stryker acquires the remainder of Matsumoto Medical Instruments, Inc. and forms Stryker Japan K.K. Also acquired is the right to sell the Leibinger product line from Inter-Med Japan. Japan builds the NSK Training Center in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Stryker launches the CentPillar hip stem, a product specifically designed for the Japanese market. Stryker launches the NRG knee system, which is specifically designed for the Japanese market. The first Stryker Latin America subsidary is opened in Mexico City, Mexico. At that time, the organization consists of 12 employees. Prior to the opening of the Mexico City office, the majority of Latin America's business consisted of a distribution channel of independent distributors. Stryker Trauma is established after the acquisition of Howmedica by Stryker Corporation to develop, manufacture and distribute trauma solutions worldwide. Until 2004, Stryker Trauma had three different factories: Geneva and Selzach in Switzerland, and Kiel in Germany. The Geneva and Selzach facilities were then merged to facilitate the logistics. Stryker Osteosynthesis' plant in Kiel, Germany, is founded in 1904 by the orthopaedic engineer Ernst Pohl. eTrauma launches OfficePACS digital imaging. Latin America opens a subsidiary office in Santiago, Chile. Latin America opens a subsidiary office in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Latin America opens a subsidiary office in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Stryker Canada is incorporated with 25 employees, 15 in the field and 10 internal. The FDA approves OP-1 Implant under an HDE (Humanitarian Device Exemption) for treatment of long bone nonunions. OP-1 receives approval in Australia for treatment of long bone nonunions. OP-1 (Osigraft) receives an approval in Europe for treatment of tibial nonunions. Stryker purchases the rights from Curis, Inc., to develop, market and sell OP-1 for treatment, repair, or replacement of bone and joint tissue. Stryker receives an approval from the FDA to market OP-1 Putty under an HDE for revision posterolateral lumbar spine fusions. Stryker establishes Stryker China Limited to officially enter the markets in China and Hong Kong. China's first office was established in Hong Kong. Latin America opens its first headquarters in Miami, Florida. Stryker introduces the first high performance cordless heavy duty power tools for orthopaedics. Instruments enters into the pain management market with the introduction of the Pain Pump. Stryker enters the waste management market with the launch of the Neptune Waste Management System. Stryker becomes the first company to enter the global market with imageless open platform orthopaedic navigation with the launch of Knee 1.0. Interventional pain introduces its radiofrequency (RF) platform. Instruments' Kalamazoo facility earns IndustryWeek magazine's Top 10 Manufacturing Plant Award. Stryker is named to Barron's list of 500 Companies that Have Done the Best Job for Their Shareholders. Stryker is ranked #9 on Medical Product Outsourcing's list of the Top 30 Global Medical Device Companies. Stryker Italy is born after the acquisition of Howmedica. The Italy office operates out of the same headquarters in Rome where Howmedica's direct sales distribution office was located. Stryker Italy begins with 76 employees and has annual sales of 39 million Euros. Stryker opens its first office in The Netherlands. Stryker opens its first office in Belgium. At this point, Benelux has 35 employees. China opens four more offices in Shanghai in the east, Guangzhou in the south, Chengdu in the southwest and another in Beijing, which is in the northern section of China. Stryker China begins selling products in Taiwan. Stryker acquires Image Guided Technologies and gains access to the surgical navigation market. Stryker opens an office in Denmark and establishes itself in the Nordic region. Stryker establishes an office in Poland under the name Osteo - Polska Sp. z o.o. A year later, the name is changed to Stryker Polska Sp. z o.o. Stryker Romania is founded. Stryker Export establishes its office in Greece, Stryker Hellas, after acquiring the office in the Howmedica acquisition. Stryker Export opens its first office in Ukraine in the city of Kiev. Stryker Export enters the market in Saudi Arabia with the sale of five i-Suites. Stryker establishes an office in Australia.