History of Allflex

Allflex origin goes back to 1955 in Palmerston North, New Zealand. John Burford started a company originally known by the name of Delta Plastics. Brian Murphy, a dynamic dairy farmer, was looking for a reliable and easily readable product to identify his animals throughout life. From the encounter of these two innovative men, the idea of a flexible plastic ear tag emerged, that would soon become the most efficient means of identifying livestock.

Allflex rapidly expanded through the world. A new plant was built in Palmerston North while an extended network of distributors grew and developed markets in Australia and the United States in 1974 and Europe in 1978. In just a few years, Allflex became the worldwide leader of animal identification. Allflex now has operations located in North and South America, Europe, China, Australia and New Zealand.

In 1992 Allflex successfully launched electronic tags that were soon recognised as the most efficient tool for advanced herd management technology. Allflex continues investing in new developments related with animal identification.

  • 1955The founders meet

    Palmerston North, New Zealand. John Burford, founder of metal engraved plates manufacturer, Delta Plastics, meets dairy farmer, Brian Murphy. Together, the dynamic duo invents a flexible, plastic ear tag to identify livestock more reliably and efficiently.

  • 1974Allflex is born

    The company is renamed Allflex, and the popularity of this innovative product spreads rapidly. A new plant is built in Palmerston North to cope with demand, while a network of distributors grows markets in Australia, the U.S. and Europe.

  • 1989From strength to strength

    Anticipating the growing interest – particularly in Europe – for animal identification, SFII, a French company, acquires Allflex. The next decade sees the consolidation of this industrial group go from strength to strength.

  • 1997Allflex supports secure European regulations

    The BSE crisis strikes Europe, and traceability becomes a public concern for both food safety and animal welfare. Allflex launches a range of highly secure, tamperproof tags to support strict European regulations around double tagging of all newborn calves.

  • 1999Allflex is chosen to supply Australia's official electronic tags

    Australia becomes the first non-European country to implement an official identification scheme. The Australian authorities then choose Allflex to supply electronic tags for the country’s livestock.

  • 2000Expanding global presence

    Systems, designs and technology for animal identification are developing fast around the world. Allflex responds by strengthening its manufacturing and commercial presence in multiple countries – stretching from Poland to Brazil, and from Turkey to Argentina. Systems, designs and technology for animal identification are developing fast around the world. Allflex responds by strengthening its manufacturing and commercial presence in multiple countries – stretching from Poland to Brazil, and from Turkey to Argentina.

  • 2007Allflex Group invests in production automation

    The Allflex Group invests heavily in the automation of tag production lines and electronic supply chains. It now works with over 2,000 collaborators, all focusing their efforts on helping the global livestock industry contribute to a safer food supply.

  • 2008New companies join the Allflex family

    The following years see several important companies with deep roots in livestock identification join the Allflex family – OS ID, Destron Fearing, Merko, Cox & Ritchey, and Aleis, to name a few – strengthening the Allflex Group’s offering of global solutions.

  • 2014Allflex acquires SCR

    The Allflex Group enters the world of animal health monitoring and digital agriculture through the acquisition of SCR as a platform for the future. A forty-year-old company itself, SCR’s monitoring solutions provide producers with actionable, intelligent management tools for reproduction, nutrition, health and wellbeing of individual cows. Linking identification and traceability to monitoring, the field of Animal Intelligence is born. The Allflex Group enters the world of animal health monitoring and digital agriculture through the acquisition of SCR as a platform for the future. A forty-year-old company itself, SCR’s monitoring solutions provide producers with actionable, intelligent management tools for reproduction, nutrition, health and wellbeing of individual cows. Linking identification and traceability to monitoring, the field of Animal Intelligence is born.

  • 2019Allflex Livestock Intelligence joins MSD Animal Health

    Allflex is the Livestock portfolio of digital products within MSD Animal Health. Through its commitment to the Science of Healthier Animals®, MSD Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, pet owners and governments one of the widest ranges of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services as well as an extensive suite of digitally connected identification, traceability and monitoring products. Allflex is the Livestock portfolio of digital products within MSD Animal Health. Through its commitment to the Science of Healthier Animals®, MSD Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, pet owners and governments one of the widest ranges of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services as well as an extensive suite of digitally connected identification, traceability and monitoring products.

  • 2020MSD Animal Health Intelligence

    In 2020, Antelliq was rebranded as MSD Animal Health Intelligence and continues to be an operating unit within MSD Animal Health. This new name takes advantage of the MSD legacy and strong brand equity. This new identity unifies the business units of Allflex Livestock Intelligence, Biomark, Sure Petcare and Vaki, as well as creates a connection to the broader MSD Animal Health portfolio. Most importantly, it unifies us as a company, and helps create a connection between everyone working under MSD Animal Health.