The WALMARK Company was established on 30 July 1990 as a limited liability
company. In the first phase of its existence, this
originally family company specialised in foreign business activities.
Following initial activities
in the area of trade with information technology
and household supplies, the company started to specialise in trade with
agricultural products
in the first half of 1991, particularly in exporting
special seeds for food industry purposes. In the second half of 1991 the
company launched
business activities and subsequently also its own
production in the non-alcoholic beverage segment. In 1992 it started to
concern itself first of all with
importing and subsequently manufacturing pharmaceutical
and para-pharmaceutical products, particularly nutritional supplements
and therapeutic cosmetic
products.
The
aforementioned three main lines of business, comprised
into three divisions, the food division, the pharmacy
division and the agricultural products division,
represented the basic elements of the company organization
until 2001. At this time, the company management
accepted a decision, within the scope of formulating
a long-term strategy, regarding the strategic orientation
of the company towards the pharmaceutical sphere
as an area with a promise of high growth on an
international scale. In connection with this decision,
the agricultural division was sold in 2001 and
Walmark was active as a manufacturer of nutritional
supplements and non-alcoholic beverages in subsequent
years. The process of gradually abandoning non-pharmaceutical
branches of business was culminated by Walmark
at the end of 2004 by the sale of the predominant
majority of the assets of the food division, concerned
with the manufacture of non-alcoholic beverages.
Along with these divesting processes and with
the aid of resources acquired in this manner, the
company has invested significant amounts into the
development of its pharmaceutical division. A completely
new pharmaceutical plant, fulfilling GMP (Good
Manufacturing Practice) standards, which is one
of the most modern in the Czech Republic, has been
established. Since 2003 Walmark has become a holder
of permits for the manufacture of pharmaceuticals,
issued by the State Institute for Drug Control,
on the basis of a successful certification process.
A significant turning point for the further development
of the companys pharmaceutical division was the
launch of production of the first pharmaceuticals,
in September 2004. The original portfolio of nutritional
supplements, which continues to form the backbone
of the company revenue, was thereby expanded by
human pharmaceuticals. The first pharmaceutical
introduced onto the market was the licensed, freely
available product, Septofort. In the near future
Walmark is preparing the launch of production of
several other pharmaceuticals.
The history of the company to date is a period
of fast and stable growth. The companys strategic
target is to become the largest manufacture of
nutritional supplements in the region of Central
and Eastern Europe by 2007. The WALMARK, a.s.,
company has been undergoing a procedure of regular
assessment of its performance and financial health
by the renowned CRA rating agency, an affiliate
partner of the Moodys world agency, since 2002.
This agency has currently acceded to increasing
the long-term international rating of WALMARK,
a.s. by one level, from Baa- to Baa. The rating
improvement on the part of an independent agency
in particular is confirmation of the correctness
of the previous decision to focus on the area of
nutritional supplements and pharmaceuticals.
The most significant events in the history of the company:
| 1990 |
- founding of the Walmark company |
| 1991 |
- establishment of the non-alcoholic beverages division
- establishment of the agricultural products
division |
| 1992 |
- establishment of the pharmacy division
- launch of importing and distribution
of Natures Bounty (USA) vitamin products
- establishment of the Walmark subsidiary
company in the Slovak Republic |
| 1993 |
- launch of own production of Walmark carbonated lemonade |
| 1994 |
- launch of production of Walmark pharmaceutical products |
| 1996 |
- launch of own production of fruit juices in TetraPak
packaging under the brand name Relax |
| 1997 |
- transformation of the non-alcoholic beverage division
into the food division
- establishment of a Walmark subsidiary
company in Romania |
| 1998 |
- foundation of the Walmark health club |
| 1999 |
- establishment of a Walmark subsidiary company in
Poland |
| 2001 |
- transformation of the company into a stock company
- sale of the agricultural products division |
| 2001/2 |
- expansion and extensive modernisation of the pharmacy
division manufacturing plant in Tinec |
| 2002 |
- launch of operation of the new plant for the manufacture
of non-alcoholic beverages in Kamenec pod Vtnikom (Slovak Republic) |
| 2003 |
- establishment of Walmark subsidiary companies in
the Ukraine and Hungary
- acquisition of a permit for the manufacture
of pharmaceuticals from the State Institute
for Drug Control |
| 2004 |
- acquisition of the Fontea a.s. beverage company
(Vesel n. Lunic, Czech Republic)
- purchase of the premium joint nutrition
brand, Proenzi
- launch of production of the first pharmaceuticals
- establishment of a Walmark subsidiary
company in Lithuania
- sale of the dominant share of assets
of the food division to the Polish company Maspex
|