DKSH acquires local health care supplier

DKSH, a global market expansion services provider deeply rooted in Asia, has purchased the entire shareholding of Europ Continents Cambodia, a local distributor of medical devices and in-vitro diagnostic and laboratory products, the company said yesterday.

Joerg Wolle, president & CEO of DKSH, said the acquisition would strengthen the company’s position in Cambodia by expanding the range of health care products and services it can offer to clients.

“As we expand our portfolio of medical devices and laboratory products, we can offer our customers an even broader range of health care products and services out of one hand,” he said in a statement.

Zurich-based DKSH operates in 36 countries with over 28,000 specialised staff, providing customised market expansion services such as sales and marketing, distribution and regulatory consulting to help other companies and brands grow in new or existing markets. The company’s health care unit assists companies with market entry studies, sales, distribution and invoicing, and provides products such as pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

Founded in 1993, Europ Continents Cambodia distributes the products of major health care firms and offers its clients business services, including sales, marketing, distribution, logistics and after-sales service.

Menh Tech, head of country management for DKSH Cambodia, described the buyout as “a perfect fit”, as it strengthens his company’s position in the fast-growing Cambodian market and drives forward the consolidation of the highly fragmented market expansion services industry.

“DKSH already today is the leading market expansion services provider for health care products, and not only in Cambodia,” he told the Post. “Europ Continents Cambodia in return is the top player in distribution of medical devices and laboratory equipment, a sub-segment of the health care sector, in Cambodia.”

The acquisition also brings along a number of Europ Continents Cambodia’s top-tier clients from the medical device and laboratory equipment sectors, complementing DKSH’s current client portfolio.

“Additionally, the deal is in line with the DKSH Group’s strategy, where we complement organic growth with strategic bolt-on acquisitions that allow the Group to expand its position in specific business areas – in this case health care,” Tech added.

In 2015, DKSH took a stake in Kulara, the manufacturer of Eau Kulen, Cambodia’s first locally bottled natural mineral water.