AmerisourceBergen Corporation History



Address:
P.O. Box 959
Valley Forge, Pennsylvania 19482
U.S.A.

Telephone: (610) 727-7000
Toll Free: 800-829-3132
Fax: (610) 727-3600

Public Company
Incorporated: 1985 as Alco Health Services Corp.; 1969 as Bergen Brunswig Corp.
Employees: 14,800
Sales: $49.6 billion (2003)
Stock Exchanges: New York
Ticker Symbol: ABC
NAIC: 422210 Drugs and Druggists' and Sundries Wholesalers

Company Perspectives:

Our mission is to build shareholder value by delivering pharmaceutical and healthcare products, services and solutions in innovative and cost effective ways. We will realize this mission by setting the highest standards in service, reliability, safety and cost containment in our industry.

Key Dates:

1907:
Lucien Brunswig buys out his partner and renames his business Brunswig Drug Company.
1947:
Emil P. Martini creates the Bergen Drug Company.
1969:
Martini successfully negotiates the purchase of Brunswig Drug Corporation; the merged company is named the Bergen Brunswig Corporation.
1977:
Alco Standard Corporation purchases The Drug House.
1985:
Alco Health Services Corporation is incorporated.
1988:
AHSC Holdings Corporation acquires Alco in a management-led buyout.
1994:
Alco Health changes its name to AmeriSource Health Corporation.
1999:
The company purchases C.D. Smith Healthcare and a substantial share of ADDS Telepharmacy Solutions, Inc.
2001:
AmeriSource acquires Bergen Brunswig and renames itself AmerisourceBergen.

Company History:

Further Reading:

  • "Amerisource, A Drug Seller, to Buy Packaging Company," New York Times, May 23, 2003, p. C4.
  • "AmeriSource Shifts Management to Focus on Three Key Channels," Drug Store News, April 5, 1999, p. 3.
  • Barrett, Amy, "Bergen Brunswig: Time to Climb on Board?," FW, April 14, 1992, p. 14.
  • "Bergen Brunswig Begins to Heal," Forbes, November 22, 1993, p. 212.
  • Binzen, Peter, "One Leveraged Buyout Has Paid Off, and It Keeps On Growing," Philadelphia Inquirer, December 12, 1994, p. D3.
  • Fay, John T., NWDA 1876-1986: Centennial Plus Ten, Alexandria, Vir.: National Wholesale Druggists' Association, 1987.
  • Frederick, James, "Revolutionizing an Industry," Drug Store News, December 17, 2001.
  • Gilpin, Kenneth N., "Two Drug Wholesalers to Merge in a $2.4 Billion Stock Deal," New York Times, March 20, 2001, p. C8.
  • Heller, Al, "Formidable Four Move Ahead Separately, Optimistically," Drug Store News, September 21, 1998, p. 11.
  • "Major Drug Wholesaler Upbeat Despite Losing Big Contract," Associated Press, May 24, 2004.
  • Meilach, Dona Z., "At Home & On the Road, Pharmaceutical Distributor Uses Variety of Large-Screen Devices," Computer Pictures, May-June 1993, p. 14.
  • Moukheiber, Zina, "Easy Pill to Swallow," Forbes, October 29, 2001.
  • Reeves, Amy, "Merger Is a Year Old, but Work's Not Done," Investor's Business Daily, November 22, 2002, p. A6.
  • Roller, Kim, "AmeriSource Trade Show Leaves All 'Energized' for the Real World," Drug Store News, August 28, 2000, p. 16.
  • Werner, Thomas, "'Without Negatives': That's How Alco Health Services' Chief Describes Its Business," Barron's, April 13, 1987.
  • Wiley, Karen, ed., Centennial Sampler: 1888-1988, Orange, Calif.: Bergen Brunswig Corporation, 1988.

Source: International Directory of Company Histories, Vol.64. St. James Press, 2004.

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