BR Pharmaceuticals secures Middle East fund partner for ambitious expansion plans

BR PHARMACEUTICALS has signed a deal to join forces with one of the largest family business empires in Jordan.

BR managing director and owner Phillip Byrne signed the deal which gives a 50% shareholder stake in his £4m turnover business to Omar Abu Sheikha, who owns a pharmaceutical and healthcare import and distribution business across the Middle East, a rapidly growing retail pharmacy chain, as well as the largest money exchange business in Amman, the capital of Jordan.

Leeds-based BR currently works across the UK, Europe, Middle East and African markets, supplying and marketing health and personal care brands such as Valupak vitamins and supplements and Reveal home pregnancy tests to thousands of independent pharmacies, through appointed wholesalers and distributors.

Based at its head office and distribution centre on Clayton Wood Close in West Park, Byrne has already started on the acquisition trail, looking for UK and international brands to supply to the company’s growing domestic and international markets.

The Abu Sheikha business, established in 1994, is self-made and run by the family of 10 brothers, headed up by Omar Abu Sheikha.

Omar started his career in pharmaceuticals fresh out of university with Abbott Laboratories – one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world with 70,000 employees in 150 countries. As a sales rep he was given Saudi Arabia as a territory to develop from scratch.

Some 23 years later he was general manager overseeing the whole of the Middle East market.

He decided to put that expertise into his own venture and soon the Abu Sheikha business model was in place. His nine brothers returned to Jordan from various careers around the world to support the new family venture.

Byrne said: “I have known the Abu Sheikha family for many years and I have total respect and admiration for what they have created and achieved within their family business. We have talked about being in business together many times but now the timing was right with everything falling into place this year.”

Omar and his brothers have since flown over to the Leeds HQ to meet BR’s staff, to outline their ambitious growth plans for the business.

“This is a very exciting time for the business. I am now with a partner who has the vision and ambition to help take BR to new international markets,” adds Byrne. “We will be working on building a new infrastructure for the company and opening an office in Jordan very shortly. We will also be looking to recruit the right people to grow with us and boosting sales both in the UK and internationally.”

Byrne believes there is a massive opportunity to continue the company’s overseas expansion in the Middle East and Africa as well as new markets such as SE Asia and Latin America – having seen BR international sales increase by 40% in the last two years alone.

Omar Abu Sheikha said: “We have worked with Phillip for a very long time. The Valupak range was one of the very first brands that we distributed through our business and we are delighted to be partners moving forward.

“UK brands are particularly sought-after in the Middle East with their reputation for innovation, skilled work forces and high quality products.”