Over 70 years ago, America was in the throes of the Great Depression. Yet with irrepressible entrepreneurial spirit, a young pharmacist, newly graduated from the Columbia University School of Pharmacy, borrowed $500 and opened a pharmacy in Woodside, Queens. The young man was Henry Schein. With hard work and determination, he and his wife, Esther, grew their mom-and-pop pharmacy into a thriving enterprise based on the belief that affordable, high-quality merchandise and excellent customer service were the building blocks of a successful business.

The innovative leadership and exceptional management skills of Henry and Esther Schein made their dream become a reality. Today, Henry Schein, Inc. is the world's largest distributor of healthcare products and services for office-based physicians in the European and North American markets. Its Team Schein Members now number nearly 11,000.

Henry and Esther Schein always went out of their way to make customers and employees alike feel special. They considered those who worked for them to be part of their extended family and their personal involvement in their well being was the foundation of the "Team Schein" philosophy that has distinguished Henry Schein, Inc. throughout the decades. Henry Schein is proud to provide its Team Schein Members the opportunity to expand their skills; grow within the organization; and share in the Company's financial success.

Henry Schein has never strayed from its founder's unwavering commitment to provide superior product value and excellent service to its customers. Our corporate culture emphasizes ethical behavior, creativity, diversity, and the willingness to serve customers as partners by promoting initiatives to help them operate more efficient and profitable businesses. Our powerful strengths and clear growth strategies have been actualized by the continuous efforts of our Team Schein Members, whose energy and dedication make it possible to perpetuate our ideals and goals and ensure the entrepreneurial spirit that has made us a success for over 70 years.

Today, Henry Schein, Inc. is a Fortune 500® company and the largest distributor of healthcare products and services to office-based practitioners in the combined North American and European markets. We serve more than 475,000 healthcare professionals in more than 125 countries worldwide—with sales reaching a record $4.1 billion for 2004.

We have operations in 19 countries and we employ nearly 11,000 Team Schein Members.