Nine companies are united under the roof of Wörner Medical Group. The most recent acquisition was Klitra Praxisbedarf GmbH & Co. KG in 2022. Just a year before, Wörner Medical Group had been taken over by the Irish DCC plc Group. Since September 2024, Dr. Birger Kohlert has been the CFO of Wörner Medical. He explains, "We aim for soft integration both with Klitra and our other subsidiaries. Our units generally retain their specifics and their freedoms." The company has weathered the corona period well due to high demand for consumables. "However, supply was terrible due to global shortages," recalls marketing director Matthias Neumeyer.

Best-in-class

Even the managing director, CEO Sharath Bhat, has only been with the company since 2024. Regarding the current market situation, he says: "Germany is one of the largest markets in Europe and globally. The hospital system here is under pressure. We expect many insolvencies. This will bring about a boom for doctor's offices and medical care centers. Since we do most of our business outside of hospitals, this is good for us." However, he also expects high price pressure in this area. The Hybrid-DRG, a regulation for sector-equivalent remuneration that came into effect at the beginning of the year, he considers to be a good idea in principle, but sees its implementation as a challenge. In Germany, Wörner Medical is already one of the largest providers. "We have a very fragmented market here with more than 3,000 companies," says Sharath Bhat. Gerhard Wörner, who founded the company, based it on three pillars. These are still today the factors of success, Birger Kohlert is convinced: "The most important thing is our best-in-class service. In 95% of cases, we deliver the next day. The second point is our assortment. In the spirit of a one-stop shop, we offer everything our customers need, from toilet paper to high-tech catheters, and at the best prices. The third point is our omnichannel approach." With this combination, Wörner Medical pursues a supreme goal: to make its customers' lives easier. And that starts right from the order placement. 

The Fax Still Lives

The three main product groups of the company are laboratory supplies and accessories, practice supplies, and consultation supplies for licensed doctors and medical care centers. "The operating room equipment segment, which Klitra also offers, has grown," reports Matthias Neumeyer. In about five years, he sees the company as fully digitalized. The parent company sets the rules on this path. This includes the ERP system. "We need to be digitally up to date. Sweden is a forerunner and significantly ahead of us. In Germany, the GDPR is a problem," says CEO Sharath Bhat "Our customers are still very reliant on fax. We want to lead them to easy and simple online ordering. We are still on the way to a paperless office.” Handling digitalization is a generational issue. "Younger practices also tend to have a digital concept," reports Matthias Neumeyer. Birger Kohlert adds: "Germany has missed important developments. Since the early 2000s, other focuses were set and too little infrastructural investment was made. Other countries have always invested here." Sharath Bhat sees another problem in Germany: "Starting businesses is made difficult. Other countries offer better opportunities here as well." 

Growing through Acquisitions

Sustainability plays an important role in Germany, says CEO Sharath Bhat. He explains, 'It is also highly valued by our parent company DCC. We pursue a holistic approach that includes responsible sourcing, mindset, and energy efficiency.' He also reports a trend towards recyclable products: 'However, possible contamination must be considered with recyclable products. Therefore, they are only suitable for areas where they are not used directly on patients.' He announces, 'We will continue to acquire. Another goal is to work more closely within the group and to market ourselves as such.' Regarding the further development of his company, he hopes for the upcoming federal election. 'The major industries are under high pressure. We are experiencing a transformation due to the influence of China and digitization.' Despite high demand, he does not expect a boom in healthcare. In spring 2025, Wörner Medical will launch a new webshop. 'We have invested heavily in the platform to provide our customers with the best service,' says Birger Kohlert. The future of Wörner Medical is clearly focused on growth, the CFO explains: 'With a combination of acquisition and organic growth, we aim to crack half a billion in revenue in five years.'