Profile: Henry Schein, Inc. (HSIC.O)

Henry Schein, Inc. is a distributor of healthcare products and services to office-based healthcare practitioners in the combined North American and European markets. The Company serves more than 575,000 customers worldwide, including dental practitioners and laboratories, physician practices and animal health clinics, as well as government and other institutions. The Company has operations in the United States, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. It also has affiliates in Iceland, Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The Company conducts its business through two segments: healthcare distribution and technology. These segments offer different products and services to the same customer base. In November 2008, the Company discontinued its wholesale ultrasound business. In April 2008, the Company acquired Minerva Dental Limited (Minerva), a supplier of dental consumables and equipment in the United Kingdom. On December 23, 2008, the Company acquired DNA Anthos Impianti (DNA), Medka and Noviko. In March 2009, the Company acquired Ortho Organizers, a manufacturer and distributor of orthodontics products.

The healthcare distribution segment aggregates the Company’s dental, medical (including animal health) and international operating segments. This segment consists of consumable products, small equipment, laboratory products, large dental and medical equipment, equipment repair services, branded and generic pharmaceuticals, vaccines, surgical products, diagnostic tests, infection-control products and vitamins. The Company’s dental group serves office-based dental practitioners, schools and other institutions in the combined United States and Canadian dental market. Its medical group serves office-based medical practitioners, surgical centers, other alternate-care settings, animal health clinics and other institutions throughout the United States. The Company’s international group serves 21 countries outside of North America.

The Company’s technology group provides software, technology and other value-added services to healthcare practitioners, primarily in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Its value-added practice solutions include practice-management software systems for dental and medical practitioners and animal health clinics. Its technology group offerings also include financial services, e-services and continuing education services for practitioners.