AGM hears of online pharmacy plan
The 63rd AGM of the Veterinary Supply Co. (VSSCo) was held in January at the Seagoe hotel in Portadown.
John Henderson, the chairman of the board of directors, welcomed the shareholders and reported on another excellent year when company turnover rose by 6.6 per cent, resulting in an increase in the share price and annual dividend.
John Henderson retired from the board of directors and Norman McMordie stepped down as managing director, but was elected to serve on the board for a further three years as a director.
William Sherrard, the general manager, updated shareholders on how the company aims to continuously hold higher stock levels in an attempt to buffer practices from the impact of supplier ‘out of stocks’. He also explained how the company has restructured over the past year to allow it to prepare for the future where IT will be ever more important to its long-term success.
During his presentation there was a lively discussion from the floor about how VSSCo and NI vet practices should future-proof their respective businesses in terms of the increasing importance of e-commerce. It was agreed that VSSCo should look at the feasibility of developing an online pharmacy, which it would operate on behalf of its customers, as VetpetNI does currently with respect to the online pet food market.
William reiterated his appreciation for the loyalty shown by NI vet practices to the company and in recognition of this, the shareholders agreed to continue to support VetNI with a significant charitable donation to allow it to continue its work on behalf of the local veterinary profession.
In conclusion, William reiterated his vision of putting the VSSCo customer at the centre of the company goals with the aim of being able to offer everything a vet practice requires at competitive prices.
