Our History

National Veterinary Services (NVS), originally branded National Veterinary Supplies, was founded by Peter Ashton, his uncle Alan Ashton and Paul Hill in August 1989. Ian Page, the current CEO at Dechra was its first employee.

Over the next three years, by providing high levels of personalised service NVS gained a 14% market share by 1992. NVS is acquired by Lloyds Chemists.

Southern Veterinary Services and West Midland Veterinary Supplies are acquired.

Moved operations from Fenton to a 50,000 sq.ft. Warehouse in Talke in Stoke on Trent.

Management team completed a buyout of NVS, Arnolds and Dales Pharmaceuticals from the Lloyds Chemists Group. The newly formed Group was named “Dechra”.

A new semi-automated computerised stock picking circuit was introduced; this was subsequently updated and extended in 2004 and again in 2007.

Warehouse capacity was significantly increased in 2002 and the extended site refurbished as NVS signed a lease on the adjacent unit which doubled its warehousing capacity.

Dechra was listed on the London Stock Exchange in September 2000 and entered the FTSE 250 in December 2008.

In August 2013 NVS was acquired by Patterson Companies, Inc whose headquarters is in St Paul, Minnesota and Animal Health is headquartered in Greeley, Colorado.

NVS continues to be the UK’s market leader in veterinary wholesaling and distribution with ten depots across the UK.