' s ▁top ▁ 5 0 ▁best - s elling ▁ph arma ce ut ical s . ▁The ▁company ▁had ▁R & D ▁facilities ▁in ▁H ert ford shire , ▁Kent , ▁London ▁and ▁Ver ona ▁( Ital y ), ▁and ▁manufact uring ▁plants ▁in ▁Scotland ▁and ▁the ▁north ▁of ▁England . ▁It ▁had ▁R & D ▁cent res ▁in ▁the ▁US ▁and ▁Japan , ▁and ▁production ▁facilities ▁in ▁the ▁US , ▁Europe ▁and ▁the ▁Far ▁East . ▁ ▁Smith K line ▁Be ech am ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 4 8 , ▁Thomas ▁Be ech am ▁launched ▁his ▁Be ech am ' s ▁P ills ▁la x ative ▁in ▁England , ▁giving ▁birth ▁to ▁the ▁Be ech am ▁Group . ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 9 , ▁Be ech am ▁opened ▁its ▁first ▁factory ▁in ▁St ▁Hel ens , ▁Lanc ash ire . ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁Be ech am ▁was ▁extens ively ▁involved ▁in ▁ph arma ce ut ical s ▁and ▁consumer ▁products ▁such ▁as ▁Mac leans ▁to oth paste , ▁Lu co za de ▁and ▁synth etic ▁pen ic ill in ▁research . ▁ ▁John ▁K . ▁Smith ▁opened ▁his ▁first ▁ph arm acy ▁in ▁Philadelphia ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 0 . ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 5 , ▁M ahl on ▁K line ▁joined ▁the ▁business , ▁which ▁ 1 0 ▁years ▁later ▁became ▁Smith , ▁K line ▁& ▁Co . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 1 , ▁it ▁merged ▁with ▁French , ▁Richard