Market Data Current As Of: September 12, 2026
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Company History
Founded 2001 in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania
The origin of Cencora, Inc. is not a single founding moment but a complex evolution of corporate consolidation, operational innovation, and the brutal economics of the global pharmaceutical supply chain. The story begins in 1985 when Chemsource was founded in Pennsylvania, initially focusing on the distribution of generic pharmaceuticals and animal health products. The strategic shift occurred in the mid-2000s when the company integrated the two distribution networks, implemented an unified IT system, and began to focus on the distribution of high-value specialty drugs and oncology therapies.
Cencora, originally known as AmerisourceBergen, is the product of a 2001 merger between two distinct, historic drug wholesalers: AmeriSource Health Corporation and Bergen Brunswig Corporation. The older of the two pillars, Bergen Brunswig, traces its roots back to 1888 when Lucien N. Brunswig, a French immigrant, established a wholesale drug business in New Orleans, Louisiana. He later partnered with F.W. Braun in Los Angeles to expand the business to the rapidly growing West Coast, eventually renaming it the Brunswig Drug Company. In 1969, the company merged with the Bergen Drug Company (founded in 1947 by Emil P. Martini Jr. in Hackensack, New Jersey) to form Bergen Brunswig. The other pillar, AmeriSource, was founded much more recently. In 1977, a brilliant, aggressive entrepreneur named Robert E. Martini (no relation to Emil) acquired a small regional drug distributor in Pennsylvania. Recognizing the inefficiency in the industry, he initiated a relentless roll-up strategy, acquiring dozens of small wholesalers to form AmeriSource, which eventually became a publicly traded entity. The defining 2001 merger of AmeriSource and Bergen Brunswig was driven by financial necessity; the pharmaceutical distribution industry was rapidly consolidating, and scale was the only way to survive the crushing pricing power of pharmacy chains like CVS and Walgreens. The merger created an undisputed national heavyweight, which later evolved into the global entity known today as Cencora.
Amerisource Health and Bergen Brunswig completed their merger of equals to form AmerisourceBergen.
AmerisourceBergen acquired World Courier, adding global specialty transportation and biopharma logistics capabilities.
The company acquired Alliance Healthcare businesses from Walgreens Boots Alliance, expanding its international distribution footprint.
AmerisourceBergen changed its corporate name to Cencora to reflect a broader global healthcare-services identity.
Robert P. Mauch succeeded Steven H. Collis as President and Chief Executive Officer.
Cencora reported $321.333 billion in fiscal 2025 revenue and more than 51,000 employees globally.
Add global specialty transportation and logistics capabilities for biopharmaceutical customers.
Expand animal health distribution and services.
Expand international pharmaceutical distribution and healthcare services.
Acquire a majority interest in a retina-specialty management services organization.
Since its establishment in 2001, Cencora, Inc. expanded from an early-stage venture into a recognized leader in Healthcare Distribution and Specialty Pharmacy, overcoming key market challenges.
Over its history, Cencora, Inc. executed decisive strategic pivots toward scalable monetization and digital distribution, securing its current market leadership.
By continually modernizing operations and embracing workflow automation, Cencora, Inc. maintains resilience through changing technological and economic cycles.