Basic information Ownership status: Publicly traded Number of employees worldwide: 98,000 Website: Tel: 212-573-2323 Fax: 212-573-7851 Corporate accountability Brief company history: Pfizer began with a loan from Charles Pfizer to his son in 1849 in Brooklyn, NY. Originally the company was a chemical manufacturer focused on making iodine preparations and tartaric acid. They incorporated in 1900 as Charles Pfizer and Co. and continued to function primarily as a chemical company. In 1923 they had their first breakthrough, when they discovered how to produce cirtric acid by fermenting sugar. This proved fortuitous later, in 1942, when the Office of Scientific Research and Development contacted Pfizer to see if their expertise in deep-vat fermentation would allow them to help produce penicilli