A Scottish independent pharmacy chain has acquired nine community pharmacies from a Northern Irish group, it announced last week (March 6).
The M&D Green Group now has 42 pharmacies employing 750 staff after it completed a “multimillion-pound deal” with Northern Ireland’s Gordons Chemists to acquire nine of its Scottish community pharmacies, it revealed.
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M&D Green managing director Martin Green said the new pharmacies are “a perfect fit” and he is looking “forward to introducing the 100 staff at Gordons into the 650-strong workforce at M&D Green”.
“We are a family business that has grown across Scotland by serving local communities with the services they want and need,” Green added.
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“Gordons Chemist has a well-established reputation of providing high quality, professional healthcare…and we will continue this good work and build upon the range of services offered and extend access to more patients,” he said.
“[We] are certain our new colleagues will enjoy working in the M&D Green Group and will thrive in our learning culture as we aspire to further develop a highly skilled workforce to deliver the future of community pharmacy,” he added.
“Largest acquisition to date”
The nine pharmacies are located in:
- Alexandria, Dunbartonshire
- Armadale, West Lothian
- Cowdenbeath, Fife
- Edinburgh
- Helensburgh, Argyll & Bute
- Milngavie, Glasgow
- Musselburgh, East Lothian
- Oban, Argyll & Bute
- Stranraer, Dumfries & Galloway
Gordons Chemists co-founder Robert Gordon said that the decision allows the chain, which retains 55 pharmacies in Northern Ireland, to “refocus [on its] home market, ensuring that [it retains its] position as Northern Ireland’s leading independent pharmacy chain while continuing to develop and grow [its] local business”.
“We have expressed gratitude to our valued colleagues in Scotland and wish them and all at M&D Green our best wishes for the future,” he added.
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HSBC corporate relationship director Grant Bett said he was delighted to back M&D Green “with additional funding support…for a longer period” after previously helping them secure 24 other acquisitions.
Law firm Blackadders’ head of corporate and commercial Kirk Dailly added it was a “privilege” to advise M&D Green on “the group’s largest acquisition to date”.
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It comes after M&D Green extended its shirt sponsorship of Scottish football club Queen’s Park FC for the fourth consecutive year in July.
And in December, Gordons Chemists’ 54 Northern Irish branches did raffles, fancy dress and bake sales to raise almost £17,000 for Action Cancer.
The month before, Gordons announced it was forced to scrap free prescription delivery across its Northern Ireland branches due to underfunding and rising costs, with a £72 annual prescription fee set to be adopted by the start of 2025.