End of an era in the pharmaceutical industry: Kibbutz Maabarot is closing Trima
The veteran pharmaceutical company Trima, founded 85 years ago, is shutting down its production operations. The company had been reporting annual losses of 10-20 million shekels.
85 years after its founding by the country's first president, Chaim Weizmann, the veteran pharmaceutical company Trima is closing down. Calcalist has learned that employees of the company, currently owned by Kibbutz Maabarot, were notified that after a long period of exploring alternatives to sustain operations, the kibbutz has decided to cease Trima's production activity.
"This decision was made after several unsuccessful attempts to sell the company as a whole while ensuring the continuation of its operations... This is a difficult and painful decision for all of us, but given the company's situation, it is a step that could not be avoided, and we are aware of the weight of the decision for each and every one of you."
The most prominent product marketed by Trima is the morning-after pill, Postinor, which dominates the market for pregnancy prevention. The company's import lines, including Postinor, will be transferred for marketing to the natural health products company Altman, which is also fully owned by Maabarot.
As previously reported by Calcalist, several attempts were made to sell Trima, which had been losing 10-20 million shekels annually, to Rafa (FIMI fund) and CTS (Fortissimo fund), but both parties withdrew from negotiations. Trima employs approximately 130 workers, most of whom are not kibbutz members. The company was sold to Maabarot in 1962.
