Veterinary products distributor MWI Animal Health fortified its presence in the United Kingdom on Tuesday with the takeover of a 460-member buying cooperative. The terms of the transaction were not released. St. Francis Group works with veterinary practices across the U.K. and Northern Ireland and was founded in 1991 by veterinarian John Hodgkin, BVMS, MRCVS. The company, the largest of its kind in the U.K., negotiates vendor and manufacturer discounts on behalf of members. MWI was known as MWI Veterinary Supply Inc. until its sale in early 2015 to international drug wholesaler AmerisourceBergen. “We believe that adding the resources of AmerisourceBergen to [St. Francis’] existing expertise and tools will further strengthen the impact they’re able to create for their members,” said MWI’s executive vice president and president, James F. Cleary Jr. MWI, which is based in Boise, Idaho, and does more than $3 billion in annual sales, last summer acquired Vetswest Ltd., a veterinary service provider to member U.K. practices.
