Two years later, Mr Schwerin joined and hatched the idea of buying from companies' employees and other investors with management's blessing.

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Ohio Fresh's predecessor company, Buckeye Egg Farm, was hatched in the early 1980s by Anton Pohlmann, who was later banned from owning farms in his native Germany for abusing his livestock and an employee, who was sickened by the nicotine spray used to fight parasites on chickens.

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ThermoTrex has already hatched its own fledglings: ThermoLase, spun out in July 1994, and Trex Medical, spun out two years later.

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