Schein Merges Animal Health Unit With Butler

Medical, dental, and veterinary supplies merchant Henry Schein on Dec. 31 closed a deal that combines its U.S. Animal Health businesses and Butler Animal Health Supply into a new company called Butler Schein Animal Health. Schein’s U.S. Animal Health business includes its telesales and field sales organizations as well as NLS, which it acquired in 2006.

Based in Dublin, OH, Butler Schein Animal Health recorded about $850 million in combined revenue in the past 12 months. Melville, NY-based Henry Schein owns 50.1% of Butler Schein Animal Health; the owners of Butler Animal Health Supply–Oak Hill Capital Partners and The Ashkin Family Group—own the other half.

The combined companies share the same values and aim to serve veterinarians, helping them to operate better practices and deliver the highest level of care, says Kevin Vasquez, chairman/president/CEO of Butler Schein Animal Health.

“We are a convenient and efficient ‘one-stop shop’ for nearly all of our customers’ veterinary practice needs, from equipment sales and service, to practice management/medical records systems, to products from over 400 veterinary manufacturers,” he says.

What’s more, Vasquez says the new company’s distribution network ensures exceptional order fulfillment. “About 99% of items are shipped without back ordering and on the same business day the order is received,” he says.

Butler Animal Health Supply has 16 distribution centers and seven telecenters. The roughly 900 Butler Schein Animal Health team members include about 300 field sales representatives and 200 telesales and customer support reps.

As such, the new entity will benefit from increased resources, operational efficiencies and greater geographic reach, Vasquez says. “It is uniquely positioned to provide animal health manufacturers with a distribution partner that has tremendous national reach, best-in-class management, and world-class sales and marketing teams.”