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Mediq (Netherlands)

Ivan Sache 18 Jan 2015

"Mediq", headquartered in Utrecht, is a major player in global health care, employing more than 7,000 people. "Mediq" has around 900,000 customers for its homecare service. "Mediq" is present in 14 countries (Netherlands, United States, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Finland, France, Hungary, Switzerland, Belgium, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) and has a leading position in the delivery of medical devices to healthcare professionals in almost all markets in which it is active. Mediq began in 1899 as the "Onderlinge Pharmaceutische Groothandel" (OPG) - a buying cooperative established by 91 pharmacists. Aside from the headquarters in Utrecht, new locations were opened in Amsterdam, Arnhem, Haarlem and The Hague. OPG was listed on the Amsterdam stock exchange in 1992. After hundred years of cooperation, the OPG reformed into a "normal" enterprise under the name "OPG Groep N.V". One of the pillars of the new strategy of OPG was purchasing pharmacies with the goal to establish a chain of pharmacies under one brand name: "Mediq Pharmacy". The first Mediq pharmacy opened in Rotterdam Ommoord in 2005. This pharmacy forms the basis for a national rollout to over 200 owned pharmacies and approximately 300 independent partner pharmacies. OPG also began with the purchase and sale of medical devices to homes and to hospitals and other health care facilities, by acquiring the German "DiaReal" and the Swiss "Absorin Schweiz". By 2009, a new era called for a new name. Combining the strengths and cultures of all the individual companies it incorporated, "Mediq" became a respected brand name in the healthcare sector. In order to ensure continues growth in the field of deliveries to patients at home and healthcare professionals, additional funding was needed. This led in 2013 to the takeover by the private equity firm "Advent" and is the end of Mediq's stock exchange era.

Source: Corporate website

In December 2014, "Mediq" sold its pharmacy network (226 pharmacies) to the "Brocacef" group, which merged them with its own pharmacies under a new brand, "BENU". NRC, 9 December 2014

The flag of "Mediq" is horizontally divided orange-white with the company's logo in the middle. (Photo)
Ivan Sache 18 Jan 2015

Former flag

Ivan Sache 18 Jan 2015

"Mediq" previously used a similar flag, horizontally divided blue- white with the previous logo of the company and the writing "MEDIQ / APOTHEEK" (Pharmacy). ("Reformatorisch Dagblad", 22 June 2011)

The original company's corporate identity was designed in 2005-2006 by the by S.V.T. Branding & Design Group B.V agency. Subsequently, S.V.T. filed a complaint at the court of Utrecht, claiming that "Mediq" had trespassed its licensing rights. On 22 June 2011, the court ruled that "Mediq" should stop using the company's logo in its pharmacies (Court decision)

Probably as a consequence of the court ruling, "Mediq" slightly amended its logo. The upper arm of the cross was "broken" to form a disk placed above a "T" shape formed by the three remaining arms of the cross..
Ivan Sache 18 Jan 2015