Appliance of science

Bayer CropScience was established as a UK business on September 2, 2002, when Bayer AG acquired Aventis CropScience. The two companies already boasted considerable strength, with a global turnover of e6.5 billion and market share of 20 per cent. The new company therefore started life as a new market leader, with 22,000 employees and representation in 120 countries. Sounds easy, doesn't it? But the merger of two giants requires a great deal of hard work internally. Tommy Leighton reports.