Capital Wholesale Drug Company is a family owned pharmaceutical distribution company in Columbus, Ohio. Capital was founded in 1950 by George D. Richards, R.Ph. In George’s early years, he worked as a compounding pharmacist and served the World War II effort through his chemistry research. After the war, he pursued a career in pharmaceutical sales and called upon doctors and pharmacists in central Ohio.
During a routine sales call, he identified that his customers were having difficulty acquiring pharmaceutical products from an existing drug wholesaler. This challenge led George to pursue his dream of owning his own Company. The local doctors and pharmacists he knew from his time in pharmaceutical sales helped make this dream become a reality by investing in his new company, Capital Wholesale Drug Co.
George and his wife Betty ran the company out of a building on Front St. in Columbus, Ohio until the early 1980’s. By then, two of their children, Linda and George K. (G.K.) had joined the family business. Growth opportunities during this period found them needing more space, and they relocated to their current national headquarters in Grandview Heights, Ohio.
Through this period, the business mission for Capital Wholesale was simple. “Great service, safe products, and quick delivery.” George D. and Betty achieved this by maintaining daily involvement in customer relations, purchasing directly from manufacturers, and servicing pharmacies in the Central Ohio region.
Our History
Yesterday
Today
Capital Wholesale Drug Company is celebrating over 70 years in business and is proud to say that it is currently being run by both the second and third generations of the Richards family. The most recent family member to join the team is Jessica Richards Hosgood, Pharm. D., R.Ph. After spending almost 10 years gaining experience as a clinical pharmacist practicing in hospice and palliative care, Jessica is bringing her knowledge and expertise to pharmaceutical distribution. She joins her sister Sarah Richards Lynch in the management of day to day business operations.
Over the course of the past 70 years, Capital has been affected by the sweeping changes of the wholesale distribution landscape. Once, we stood among hundreds of independent distributors nationwide who purchased directly from manufacturers. Today, market consolidation and regulatory challenges have driven that number down into the teens. We are proud to still be a full line pharmaceutical wholesaler purchasing all products directly from the manufacturers.
Capital continues to uphold the same business mission established by George D. almost seven decades ago. The ability to meet our high service standards and remain a competitive and agile business partner is driven by staying on top of regulatory trends, identifying underserved market needs, and shipping directly into all lower 48 states. While the methods may have changed, our commitment to you remains the same.
Tomorrow
Our company is excited to continue to partner with you well into the future. Our headquarters are now part of the new and exciting Grandview Yard development, and this is driving significant facility improvements. These improvements include a new state of the art conveyor system, the implementation of a new ERP and WMS system, as well as working to achieve a more environmentally friendly footprint. Our new computer system will allow Capital to be fully compliant with all requirements of DSCSA well before the government imposed deadlines.
Even though Capital is looking forward, we are rooted in tradition, and we do many things the old-fashioned way. We believe while business trends change, it’s better if some things remain the same. We believe in the power of a handshake and putting people before profits. Our mission remains: “Great service, safe products, and quick delivery.”
Meet The Team
Executive Team
Account Representatives
Service Areas
Capital Wholesale Drug Company is a full line wholesale distributer located in Columbus, Ohio. Our centralized location allows for us to provide timely distribution service to the contiguous 48 states. We have an exceptional team of account representatives standing by to assist with answering questions and placing orders. Please Contact Us for questions or to Become a Customer.
Additional Information
We are licensed throughout the contiguous 48 states and provide shipment to our customers through UPS and FedEx. Tracking information for all products that have shipped is available under My Account once you are logged in.
UPS
Package tracking: www.ups.com/tracking/tracking.html
U.S. Customer Service: 1-800-PICK-UPS (1-800-742-5877) or customer.service@ups.com
FedEx
Package tracking: fedex.com/Tracking
U.S. Customer Service: 1-800-GoFedEx (1-800-463-3339)