H.D. Smith to acquire West Coast wholesaler

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — H.D. Smith, one of the largest pharmaceutical wholesalers in the United States, announced plans to acquire Valley Wholesale Drug in a merger agreement transaction.

The acquisition will increase H. D. Smith’s customer base in California and give the wholesaler an opportunity to expand into the Pacific Northwest, a market in which it currently has a limited reach.

Valley Wholesale serves more than 1,000 independent pharmacies in California, about half of the state’s market. Valley Wholesale Drug customers will benefit from access to H. D. Smith's broader product, service and solutions portfolio through its national network of distribution facilities and sales teams.

In the past few years, H. D. Smith has ramped up its national expansion effort to increase its independent pharmacy and institutional customer base and expand service offerings to customers across the country.

Since 1995, the company has acquired regional distribution players or built distribution centers in seven states serving key regions, including Texas, Illinois, California, New York Metro, Florida, New England and Kentucky.