English Swedish Finnish Front page About us History Dec 11, 2015 08:17 LINKEDIN TWEET FACEBOOK Oriola has more than 100 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical wholesale markets of Finland, Sweden and the Baltic countries. Its wholesale operations in Sweden were begun in 1907, and in 1948 the Finnish company Oriola Oy was founded. Oriola’s Baltic wholesale operations started in the 1990s and ended in 2017. Oriola-KD entered to the Swedish pharmaceutical retail markets in 2010 by acquiring a nationwide pharmacy chain. 1907 Pharmaceutical wholesale operations started in Sweden - Kronans Droghandel AB was founded. 1948 Oriola was founded in Finland as part of the Orion Group under the name Apteekkitavarakauppa Oriola Oy with the purpose of importing, selling and distributing pharmaceuticals and other chemical products as well as sanitary goods and other closely related products. 1970 Oriola Oy’s Medical Products department began operations in Finland. 1971 Sweden’s pharmacies were nationalized and the pharmacy market became a monopoly. Kronans Droghandel AB continued to distribute pharmaceuticals to pharmacies. 1972-1979 The Laboratory Supplies department started up in 1972 in Finland. Hammasväline Oy, a dental supplier, became a wholly-owned Oriola Oy subsidiary in 1974. In 1979 Oriola Oy entered the X-ray business. 1990-1995 Oriola started wholesaling operations in Estonia in 1990 and was the first Finnish pharmaceutical wholesaler in the Baltic countries. It was granted full wholesale rights in Estonia in 1993. Operations were started in Lithuania in 1994 and in Latvia in 1995. 1996 Wholesale operations were started in Russia in 1996 when OOO Moron was founded. 2003 Orion acquired a majority holding in Sweden’s second-largest pharmaceuticals distributor, Kronans Droghandel AB, and Oriola and Kronans Droghandel were combined. The deal made Oriola-KD the leading player in the pharmaceuticals wholesale trade in Finland and Sweden as measured by market shares at the time. 2006 Oriola became a part of Oriola-KD after the demerger of Orion Group. 2007 Oriola-KD and Lifco AB created a joint company, and 70 per cent of Oriola-KD’s dental business was sold to Lifco. Oriola Oy’s Laboratory Supplies department, Medical Products department and X-Ray business were combined to form the Healthcare Trade business. 2008 Oriola-KD entered the Russian market and acquired the pharmaceutical retail and wholesale companies Vitim and Moron. 2009 Sweden’s pharmacy monopoly was deregulated. Wholesale operations in Sweden continued under the name KD Pharma. 2010 Oriola-KD entered the Swedish pharmacy market by acquiring a nationwide pharmacy chain. The pharmacy chain is named Kronans Droghandel. The Healthcare Trade business was sold to Mediq N.V. Oriola-KD acquired the OOO 03 Apteka pharmacy chain in Moscow. The remaining Dental Trade business was sold to Lifco AB. 2011 KD Pharma in Sweden and Moron in Russia were rebranded under Oriola. 2013 Oriola-KD acquired Swedish pharmacy chain Medstop. Medstop and Kronans Droghandel were integrated into a single pharmacy chain, Kronans Apotek. 2014 Oriola-KD sold its Russian businesses to Russian pharmacy chain CJSC "Apteki 36.6". 2015 Oriola-KD acquires the Swedish pharmacy company Svensk Dos, specialized in dose dispensing of pharmaceuticals. 2016 Oriola-KD announces the acquisition of Pharmaservice Oy, a Finnish company offering dose dispensing supporting services, from the Association of Finnish Pharmacies and Orion. Pharmaservice provides supporting services for automated dose dispensing of medicines (Anja) to pharmacies in Finland. Oriola-KD also acquires 70.9 per cent of Farenta, a Finnish company offering services for pharmaceutical companies. Additionally, Oriola-KD agreed on the right to acquire the remaining share of Farenta. 2017 Oriola-KD and Kesko sign an agreement to establish a joint venture company, and announce a plan to establish a chain of health, beauty and wellbeing stores across Finland. With a decision by Oriola-KD Corporation's Annual General Meeting, the corporate name of the company is changed. Oriola-KD Corporation is now Oriola Corporation, in Finnish Oriola Oyj and in Swedish Oriola Abp. Oriola Corporation completes the acquisition of ICTHS Health Support. ICTHS Health Support, founded in 2007 in Sweden, provides services to pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies and healthcare operators. Oriola Corporation completes the sale of its Baltic businesses to the companies’ existing management (SIA Oribalt Group). NEXT: Management CONSUMERS PHARMACIES PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES MEDIA CAREERS TOPICS FOR PROFESSIONALS ABOUT US INVESTORS ORIOLA AS AN INVESTMENT SHARE INFORMATION AND SHAREHOLDERS FINANCIAL INFORMATION INVESTOR CALENDAR INVESTOR RELATIONS PRESENTATIONS RECORDINGS AND VIDEOS FINANCIAL REPORTS ANNUAL REPORTS CORPORATE GOVERNANCE CORPORATE GOVERNANCE STATEMENT 2017 KRONANS APOTEK THE CHANNEL FOR HEALTH We improve people's wellbeing by ensuring the reliable and customer-friendly delivery of pharmaceuticals and health products. Oriola provides an effective and reliable link between pharmaceutical companies and consumers. | Oriola Privacy Notice