Contact / Sitemap / Feedback

Company

History

Oriola-KD was founded in 2006, when Orion Corporation demerged into two new listed companies, Orion Corporation and Oriola-KD Corporation on 1 July 2006. The Oriola-KD Group was formed from the demerged Orion Group's Wholesale and Distribution Division companies Oriola Oy and Kronans Droghandel AB with their subsidiaries. The implementation of Orion Corporation's demerger was entered in the Trade Register on 1 July 2006. On the same date, the demerging Orion Corporation was dissolved and the new companies arising in the demerger, Oriola-KD Corporation and Orion Corporation, were entered in the Trade Register.

Oriola has more than 100 years of experience in the pharmaceutical wholesale markets in Finland, Sweden, Russia and the Baltic countries. The wholesale operations in Sweden were started already in 1907 and the Finnish Oriola Oy was founded in 1948. The Baltic wholesale operations were started in the 90’s and the Russian wholesale operations in 1996. Oriola has gone through major changes to become a one strong Oriola wholesale brand.

Founders of Apteekkitavarakauppa Oriola Oy: Sauli Sipilä, the Board Secretary, archiater Arvo Ylppö, the Chairman of the Board of Orion Oy and professor Erkki Leikola, Managing Director of Orion Oy. Picture taken in 1979.

Warehouse operations in Espoo in 1968.

Oriola-KD launched its pharmaceutical retail operations in Russia in 2008 by acquiring a chain of 150 pharmacies operating under the Moscow-based Stary Lekar brand, which has been in business in Russia since the 1990s.

Oriola-KD entered the Swedish pharmacy market by acquiring a nationwide pharmacy chain in 2010. The pharmacy chain takes the name Kronans Droghandel.

Milestones

1907
The pharmaceutical wholesale operations in Sweden were started - 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 started in Finland.

1971
The pharmacies in Sweden were nationalized and the pharmacy market becomes a monopoly. Kronans Droghandel AB continues to distribute pharmaceuticals to pharmacies.

1972-1979
The Laboratory Supplies department started in 1972 in Finland. Hammasväline Oy, a dental supplier, became a wholly-owned Oriola Oy’s 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 drug wholesaler in the Baltic States. It was granted full wholesale rights in Estonia in 1993. Operations were started in Lithuania in 1994 and in Latvia in 1995.

1996
The wholesale operations in Russia were started in 1996 when OOO Moron was founded.

2006
Oriola becomes a part of Oriola-KD after the demerger of Orion Group. 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.

2007
Oriola-KD and Lifco AB created a joint company and 70 percent 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 into Healthcare Trade Business.

2008
Oriola-KD entered the Russian markets and acquired a pharmaceutical retail and wholesale companies Vitim and Moron.

2009
Pharmacy monopoly in Sweden was deregulated. The wholesale operations in Sweden continued with a name KD Pharma.

2010
Oriola-KD entered the Swedish pharmacy market by acquiring a nationwide pharmacy chain. The pharmacy chain takes the name Kronans Droghandel. The Healthcare Trade business was sold to Mediq N.V. Oriola-KD acquired 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 to Oriola.