Henry Schein

Henry Schein, Inc.

Company type	Public
Industry	Healthcare products and services
Founded	1932 (1932)
Founder	Henry Schein
Headquarters	Melville, New York , United States
Area served	33 countries
Key people	Stanley Bergman (CEO)
Products	Dental equipment and supplies, medical supplies, dental software (Dentrix Ascend), healthcare products
Website	henryschein.com

Henry Schein, Inc. is a distributor of healthcare products and services based in the United States, with operations spanning 33 countries. For the 13th year in a row, Ethisphere has honored the company as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies in 2024. Additionally, Henry Schein has been recognized for its commitment to LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion, receiving the Equality 100 Award for eight consecutive years.

History

Established in 1932 by Henry Schein, an alumnus of Columbia University College of Pharmacy, the business initially operated as a pharmacy located in Queens, New York. During the 1960s, it diversified into dental supplies and by the late 1980s had secured approximately 10% of the dental supply market. The company’s leadership passed to Henry’s son Marvin in 1971, followed by Jay Schein assuming the CEO role in 1978. After Jay Schein’s passing in 1989, Stanley Bergman took over as CEO; having joined Henry Schein as CFO in 1980, Bergman provided strategic direction that propelled significant expansion.

Henry Schein went public on Nasdaq in 1995, raising $72.8 million through its initial public offering. By 1996, under Bergman’s guidance and fueled by an aggressive acquisition strategy that included 17 purchases that year alone, revenues hit $1.4 billion with profits of $29 million. In 1997, Henry Schein acquired Sullivan Dental Products for $318 million, which positioned it as the largest global distributor of dental equipment. Other notable acquisitions included Micro BioMedics and Dentrix Dental Systems.

The company’s growth continued with acquisitions such as demedis GmbH and Euro Dental Holding GmbH in 2004. In 2009, a joint venture was formed with Butler Animal Health Supply to establish Butler Schein Animal Health, which was renamed Henry Schein Animal Health in 2013. From 1989 through 2016, Henry Schein completed around 200 acquisitions, substantially increasing its market presence.

Stanley Bergman received the Chief Executive Magazine CEO of the Year award in 2017 in recognition of his leadership driving growth and acquisition strategies.

In 2018, the Federal Trade Commission alleged antitrust violations involving Henry Schein and competitors; however, charges against Henry Schein were dismissed in 2019. That same year, the company divested its animal health segment by merging it with Vets First Choice to create Covetrus.

Henry Schein was also named in lawsuits related to the opioid crisis but was removed from key cases by late 2019.

Recent acquisitions include Condor Dental (2022), Biotech Dental (2023)—a French provider of dental implants and digital solutions—and Brazil’s S.I.N Implant System (2023), all contributing to expanded international reach and product offerings.

In October 2023, Henry Schein suffered a significant cybersecurity incident impacting investor information and payroll data, which caused interruptions to its e-commerce platforms for several days.

Dental

Henry Schein became the largest global distributor of dental equipment and supplies following its acquisition of Sullivan Dental Products and Dentrix Dental Systems in 1997. Dentrix Ascend is Henry Schein’s cloud-based software designed for dental practices; it features a scalable platform with an intuitive interface tailored specifically for dental office needs.

In 2015, Henry Schein established the Dental Business Institute to provide dental practice owners with education on essential business principles; its inaugural class graduated in 2016. That same year marked the launch of the Digital Dentistry Program at Temple University’s Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry.

Dentrix incorporated DEXIS software in May 2016 to enable integration of X-ray images into patient records. In June of that year, Henry Schein broadened its prosthetic product range by acquiring Custom Automated Prosthetics through Zahn Dental, its laboratory supply division.

August 2019 saw Henry Schein acquire a controlling interest in Cliniclands, a distributor serving dental clinics across Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. In May 2021, it secured an 80% stake in Jarvis Analytics, a company specializing in data analytics tools for dental professionals. The following month, Henry Schein purchased a 70% share of eAssist Dental Solutions, which provides outsourced virtual billing services for dental practices.

In August 2022, Henry Schein enhanced its U.S. distribution capabilities by acquiring Midway Dental Supply, servicing clients throughout the Midwest region. Then in January 2023, eAssist expanded by acquiring a majority stake in Unitas PPO Solutions to improve support for dental practices aiming to optimize participation and reimbursement within commercial insurance networks.

Henry Schein One

In July 2018, Henry Schein partnered with Internet Brands to establish Henry Schein One, a collaborative venture dedicated to delivering integrated dental technology aimed at optimizing practice management, marketing efforts, and patient communication.

A year later, in July 2019, Henry Schein One broadened its footprint by acquiring Elite Computer Italia S.r.L., a comprehensive software provider offering dental practice management solutions within the Italian market.

Medical

Henry Schein Medical enhanced its physician office sales capabilities in November 2014 by merging with Cardinal Health’s physician office-sales division.

In March 2019, Henry Schein expanded its medical product offerings through the acquisition of North American Rescue (NAR), a prominent supplier of survivability and casualty-care equipment serving defense and public safety sectors.

January 2021 marked the company’s majority stake acquisition in Prism Medical Products, LLC, a nationwide distributor specializing in advanced wound care supplies for home medical use.

Further extending its homecare product range, Henry Schein acquired Shield Healthcare, Inc. in October 2023, a company that delivers medical supplies directly to patients’ residences.

In April 2024, the purchase of TriMed strengthened Henry Schein’s portfolio in orthopedic devices focusing on both lower and upper extremities.

Most recently, in January 2025, Henry Schein added Acentus to its portfolio, a specialist in Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs), thereby expanding its range of medical devices.

Animal health

Early in 2019, Henry Schein divested its Animal Health division. This segment had developed veterinary software solutions aimed at enhancing communication and data management within practices, including the cloud-based platform Rapport. In 2016, the company introduced Axis-Q, designed to facilitate easier access to and documentation of veterinary medical records.

Philanthropy

Since 1998, Henry Schein’s Back to School initiative has distributed school supplies to more than 65,000 children from underserved communities. Its annual Holiday Cheer for Children campaign provides clothing, toys, and gift cards to over 20,000 children and families each holiday season.

In 2015, Henry Schein collaborated with the Alpha Omega International Dental Society to launch the Alpha Omega-Henry Schein Cares Holocaust Survivors Oral Health Program, which has delivered free dental care services to upwards of 1,600 survivors across the United States and Canada.

Beginning in 2018, Henry Schein has supported the Special Olympics’ Healthy Athletes program through healthcare-related donations. In April 2023, it introduced Practice Green, an initiative promoting sustainable practices among healthcare providers throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Henry Schein serves as the exclusive product sponsor for the American Dental Association’s Give Kids A Smile Program, contributing $20 million worth of oral health products along with more than 40,000 dental kits.

In April 2025, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) approved Henry Schein’s near- and long-term science-driven emissions reduction goals, affirming its commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

See also

• Dentrix
• Henry Schein, Inc. v. Archer & White Sales, Inc.