DCC Healthcare acquires leading primary care supplier in Germany and Switzerland

Wörner was established in 1991 and has grown organically and through bolt-on acquisitions to become one of the leading primary care suppliers in the fragmented German market, providing nationwide sales and distribution coverage; it also has a strong presence in the Swiss market

DCC Healthcare acquires leading primary care supplier in Germany and Switzerland. (Credit: Akshay93 from Pixabay)

DCC plc, the leading international sales, marketing, and support services group, announces that DCC Healthcare has agreed to acquire Wörner  Medizinprodukte  Holding  GmbH  (“Wörner”), a  leading supplier of medical and laboratory products to the primary care sector in Germany and Switzerland.

Wörner was established in  1991 and has grown organically and through bolt-on acquisitions to become one of the leading primary care suppliers in the fragmented German market,  providing nationwide sales and distribution coverage; it also has a strong presence in the Swiss market.

Wörner sells a broad product range to approximately   20,000 customers annually, including general practitioners, primary care centres, specialist medical centres and laboratories. The business recorded revenue of approximately €70 million in 2020 and employs 158 people. Wörner will continue to be led by its existing, experienced, management team from its headquarters in Reutlingen, Germany.

Wörnerwill joins the  DCC  Vital group, a leader in the  sales,  marketing and distribution of medical products to the hospital, community and primary care sectors in Britain and Ireland. There are strong similarities between DCC Vital’s primary care activities and Wörner, particularly in terms of customer focus, product offering and digital sales approach, providing value creation opportunities in areas such as procurement, marketing and the use of technology.

Wörner has an active bolt-on acquisition target list.DCC, with its expertise in acquisitive growth, will, following completion of the transaction, work with the Wörner team to accelerate the execution of these opportunities. The acquisition of Wörner will also provide a platform for the expansion of DCC Vital’s broader activities into Continental Europe, particularly in Germany, which is a large, well-funded, and growing healthcare market.

DCC is acquiring Wörner based on an initial enterprise value of approximately €80 million. The acquisition is subject to competition authority approval in Germany and Austria and is expected to complete in April 2021.

Donal Murphy, Chief Executive of DCC plc, said today: “The acquisition of  Wörnerrepresents a  significant scale-up of our primary care business and extends DCC Vital’s sales and marketing activities into Continental Europe for the first time. DCC Vitalis a key growth platform for DCC and has delivered strong organic growth in recent years in the sales and marketing of medical products across the primary care,  community, and hospital sectors. DCC Vital will continue to build its business across Europe in the coming years and Wörnerwill provide an excellent platform for further acquisition activity, both in Germany, Europe’s largest healthcare market, and across the DACH region.”

Source: Company Press Release