AAH is a pharmaceutical wholesaler in the United Kingdom. Originally formed in 1892 as a company selling solid fuels in South Wales, it was floated on the stock exchange in 1923. It diversified into pharmaceuticals in the 1970s, and since 1995 it has been a subsidiary of the German company Celesio AG.

History

AAH originated in 1892, when Cleeves Company was formed in Wales, owning about 7,000 acres of land. It merged with two local companies, Gurnos and Gellveeidrim, to form Amalgamated Anthracite Collieries Limited. The Chairman of the company was Alfred Mond, 1st Baron Melchett, and it was floated on the Stock Exchange on 29 June 1923, having been registered as a public company on 16 June 1923. The registered office was 29/30 King Street,

Cheapside Cheapside is a street in the City of London, the historic and modern financial centre of London, which forms part of the A40 London to Fishguard road. It links St. Martin's Le Grand with Poultry. Near its eastern end at Bank junction, where ...

, London. Amalgamated Anthracite Collieries Limited held its first company meeting on 5 September 1923 at the Cannon Street Hotel. From mid-1925 to at least the end of 1926, all coal mining activities in England had ceased, resulting in major financial problems for the industry. This was a driving force behind the eventual merger with United Anthracite Collieries Limited. On 1 July 1927, the company merged with United to become known as A.A.C Anthracite, based at 120

Fenchurch Street Fenchurch Street is a street in London linking Aldgate at its eastern end with Lombard Street and Gracechurch Street in the west. It is a well-known thoroughfare in the City of London financial district and is the site of many corporate office ...

. AAH's original business was producing and distributing anthracite and other solid fuels across South Wales. The company later diversified its interests in different markets including health services, building materials, transport, warehousing and environmental services (landscape conservation and waste disposal). In 1954, it was agreed to change the company name to Amalgamated Anthracite Holdings Limited (AAH). In early 1971 the company abbreviated its name to AAH Limited. In 1976, AAH sold off its interests in fuel and building materials. Healthcare services became the company's main business activity. AAH expanded its pharmaceutical interest by taking over a large number of businesses including Chemists Holding and Hills Pharmaceuticals. AAH Limited became a constituent company of AAH Holdings in 1981, based in London. In 1985 the headquarters of AAH Holdings plc moved to the south of Lincoln. By the late 1980s, when based in

Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincol ...

, the holding company was turning over , though the turnover for the pharmaceutical section was only in the range of . In 1985 AAH acquired pharmaceutical wholesaler Vestric Limited from Glaxo P.L.C., which continued the company's growth and led to the formation of AAH Pharmaceuticals Limited. In 1991, AAH arranged to distribute drugs marketed by ICI to hospitals in Britain, while ICI retained distribution logistics to pharmacies in the country. By 1994, the company's headquarters had relocated to Runcorn in Cheshire, where it employed 3,200 people. The company was bought by Celesio AG in 1995 (formerly

GEHE McKesson Europe AG (formerly Celesio AG, previously Gehe AG), with its headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, is a leading international wholesale and retail company and provider of logistics and services in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sect ...

AG,). In 1999 the headquarters moved to

Coventry Coventry ( or ) is a city in the West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its city status until the Middle Ages. The city is governed b ...

, where it remains as of 2012. In 2003, the company was among several which were accused by the MHRA of "breaches of trust" involving the offering "benefits to pharmacists in return for buying medicinal products from certain suppliers;" AAH, and the other firms, terminated the offending schemes following the accusations.

Branches

The AAH group has several branches. The Enterprise branch sells health and beauty products to over 5,000 independent pharmacies in the UK. The Trident branch is a shortline supplier to independent pharmacies in the UK. Wilkinson Healthcare provides independent pharmacies with surgical services. Dextrous provides logistical services to manufacturers.

Operations

The head office is situated off the A4600 (former A46) south of junction 2 (M69) of the M6 in the north of Coventry on the Coventry Walsgrave Triangle. It has 19 depots around the UK including locations in

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

, and Sussex."AAH Branch Locations". AAH Pharmaceuticals. http://www.aah.co.uk/locations. Retrieved 30 October 2012

References

External links

AAH

Celesio UK
*

Video clips

{{Pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry in the United Kingdom 1923 establishments in England Manufacturing companies based in Coventry Companies based in Lincoln, England Pharmaceutical companies established in 1923 Pharmaceutical companies of England