Diplomat Pharmacy is seeing the fruits of its med peddling labors. Doing business as Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy, it is the largest privately-held specialty pharmacy in the US and is growing fast. It contracts with managed care providers, drugmakers, and pharmacy benefits managers to deliver medications, drug management programs, and services to patients with chronic illnesses, such as arthritis, cancer, Hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS, kidney disease, and multiple sclerosis. It has locations in California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio. Founded by Dale Hagerman in 1975, the company is today co-owned by son and CEO Phil Hagerman and senior vice presidents Jeff Rowe and Steve Chaffee.

Bassett & Walker International, Inc. is an international trade firm that specializes in agricultural commodities such as meat and dairy products. BWI acts as principal buyer and seller of these goods, and handles all trade-related issues, such as foreign exchange, documentation, and international finance. It also offers logistical and fulfillment services. Clients include food producers and processors, as well as pharmaceutical and industrial companies in more than 55 countries. BWI operates from offices in Brazil, Canada, and the US.

Airgas, Inc.(NYSE: ARG), through its subsidiaries, is the largest U.S. distributor of industrial, medical, and specialty gases and related hardgoods, such as welding supplies. Airgas is also a leading U.S. distributor of safety products, the largest U.S. producer of nitrous oxide and dry ice, the largest liquid carbon dioxide producer in the Southeast, and a leading distributor of process chemicals, refrigerants and ammonia products.Airgas Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Peter McCausland founded the company in 1982. Through approximately 400 acquisitions and internal growth, Airgas has built the largest national distribution network in the packaged gas industry. More than 14,000 employees work in more than 1,100 locations includes branches, cylinder fill plants, production facilities, specialty gas laboratories, and regional distribution centers to serve a diversified customer base. Airgas markets through multiple channels, including its own branches and outside sales force, a Strategic Accounts Team focused on large customers, distributors and resellers, telesales, catalog and eBusiness channels.

Spartan Stores, Inc. operates as a grocery distributor and grocery retailer principally in Michigan and Indiana. The company operates in two segments, Distribution and Retail. The Distribution segment provides approximately 43,000 stock-keeping units, including dry groceries, produce, dairy products, meat, deli, bakery, frozen food, seafood, floral products, general merchandise, pharmacy, and health and beauty care items to approximately 375 independent grocery stores and 96 corporate-owned stores. It also offers approximately 3,200 private label grocery and general merchandise items, as well as provides value-added services, including site identification and market analyses, store planning and development, marketing, promotion, advertising, technology and information, accounting and tax preparation, human resource, coupon redemption, product reclamation, printing, category management, real estate, and construction management services. The Retail segment operates retail supermarkets under the banners comprising Glen's Markets, Family Fare Supermarkets, D&W Fresh Markets, Felpausch Food Centers, and VG's Food and Pharmacy. It operates approximately 96 retail supermarkets that offer dry groceries, produce, dairy products, meat, frozen food, seafood, floral products, general merchandise, beverages, tobacco products, health and beauty care products, delicatessen items, and bakery goods; and 66 supermarkets that offer pharmacy services. It also offers private label items, including its Spartan brand; Top Care, a health and beauty care brand label; Valu Time, a value brand; and Full Circle, a natural and organic brand. In addition, this segment operates 24 fuel centers under the banners of D&W Quick Stop, Family Fare Quick Stop, Glen's Quick Stop, Felpausch Quick Stop, and V.G.'s Quick Stop that offer refueling facilities, as well as a convenience store providing consumable products. The company was founded in 1917 and is based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Founded as Great Lakes Wholesale Drug in 1967, a steady regimen of acquisitions helped it transform into The Harvard Drug Group in 1997. The company is controlled by investment firm Court Square Capital Partners. Drugs, not scholars, are what come out of this Harvard. The Harvard Drug Group distributes branded and generic prescription and OTC drugs, vitamins, and consumer products to independent pharmacies, retail pharmacy chains, and buying groups through more than 100 sales representatives and through partnerships with about 35 different vendors. The firm also offers manufacturing services through its partnership with Canadian drugmaker Apotex.

Vistar Corporation is a leading distributor of snacks, specialty food products, and other "impulse items" to vending and foodservice operators. From more than 20 distribution centers throughout the country, Vistar delivers candy, snacks, and beverages to more than 33,000 customers in the vending, concessions, and convenience store segment. Besides its distribution services, the company sells its products wholesale through about a dozen Merchant's Mart cash & carry locations across the US. Formed in 1997, Vistar became a unit of Performance Food Group (PFG) in 2008.

Topco Associates is a top company in terms of private-label procurement. Topco uses the combined purchasing clout of more than 60 member companies (mostly supermarket operators and foodservice suppliers) nationwide to wring discounts from wholesalers and manufacturers. Topco distributes more than 5,000 private-label items, including fresh meat and produce, dairy and bakery goods, and health and beauty aids, to retail locations throughout the US. Its brands include Food Club, Shurfine, and a line of "Top" labels such as Top Crest and Top Care. In addition to procurement, Topco helps its members contain costs through financial-services programs and other business services.

Associated Grocers of the South is a grocery wholesale cooperative serving more than 300 independently-owned supermarkets in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee. In addition to supplying more than 16,000 products under the Shurfine brand (from Topco Associates) and other labels, the cooperative provides its members with accounting, advertising, merchandising and other support services. Associated Grocers of the South was formed in Birmingham, Alabama, by a group of a dozen neighborhood stores in 1927.

Celesio likes being a middleman when it comes to pharmaceuticals. The company is one of Europe's largest drug wholesalers, holding market-leading positions in several of the countries it serves. Its largest wholesale markets are France, Germany, and the UK. In addition to more than 140 wholesale distribution branches, Celesio owns retail chains consisting of 2,300 pharmacies in Europe, including Norway, Italy, and the UK. The company also offers marketing, logistics, and transportation solutions to pharmaceutical manufacturers through its manufacturer solutions division (and its Movianto and pharmexx units). German conglomerate Franz Haniel & Cie. owns a majority stake in Celesio, which was founded in 1835.

The PHOENIX Group is one of the top five pharmaceutical wholesalers in the world. It operates exclusively in Europe with its headquarters in Mannheim, Germany. PHOENIX's wholesale activities cover most of the major European markets, and it commands a leading position in the "emerging countries". PHOENIX UK was born in November 1998 with the combined acquisition of L. Rowland & Co. Ltd based in Wrexham and Philip Harris Medical Ltd in Birmingham. The acquisition of a number of further regional wholesalers followed and these were all combined to form one wholesaling company, PHOENIX Healthcare Distribution Ltd. The UK headquarters is based at Runcorn in Cheshire, from which the corporate service divisions support the local business activities.One of the major business objectives is total customer satisfaction, and this is delivered from the platform: "All Business is Local". The individual wholesale depots are structured and empowered to provide the local service that customers require, with the support of the central corporate services. Investment is continually made within the warehouses and logistic functions to ensure that a high level of service is delivered, in combination with cost leadership. PHOENIX is a strong supporter of Numark, a company owned by PHOENIX, which has the aim of promoting and marketing the interests of community pharmacy. PHOENIX Healthcare Distribution provides the OTC offering to pharmacy.

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