The roots of Value Invest started in 1978 when a handful of pharmacists banned together to create an affordable marketing program and, eventually, to own their own source of supply. Twenty-five successful years later, a succession plan was created for the owners of Value Drug Mart Associates Ltd. called Value Invest. Value Invest—the Value Drug Mart Investment Company Ltd. was born in 2003 as a result of the need to develop a succession plan for our Value Drug Mart owners and other independent business owners. It has also become a way to retain the Value Drug Mart name in key rural locations across Alberta. For existing owners who are nearing retirement or are thinking of selling, Value Invest is there to purchase their existing store and to continue the independent legacy in their community no matter what brand name their store currently carries.
Next, Value Invest partners with energetic and entrepreneurial pharmacists who are looking for an ownership opportunity but lack the capital to make ownership a reality. Working with Value Drug Mart Associates Ltd., Value Invest renovates the acquired store and establishes an up-front acquisition cost for the new owners which is amortized over a period of time—suddenly, young entrepreneurs who thought they could never realize their dream of owning their own independent store, have a dream come true. Value Invest’s expert team provides the new owners and their staff ongoing management, operational, and accounting support. The implementation of best practices sets the store up for long-term operational efficiency and growth.
The Value Invest model creates a win-win situation for all of the stakeholders. For existing store owners—a solid avenue to sell their store. For independent pharmacy a succession plan. For young pharmacists—a unique ownership opportunity unlike anything else in the industry. Since inception of the company, numerous families have been able to reach their entrepreneurial dream and the initial business plan has been executed with exceptional results.