Beginnings
The year was 1946. Long before Steve Jobs started a business in his garage, Jack Webster started a business in his. Today, it’s Patterson Vet.
J.A. Webster Inc. started out of Jack’s Wakefield, Massachusetts, home, using a single-car garage behind his house as its warehouse.
His product mix? A single SKU: A swine serum.
At that time, hog cholera had been a nightmare for American farmers and producers throughout both world wars – 70 years total. This major threat to the swine industry was eventually eradicated in the United States in 1978 with the aid of swine serum.
Jack had worked for Fort Dodge Animal Health, which had grown to become one of the leading manufacturers and distributors of animal health products in the world. Swine serum was part of its product mix. When Fort Dodge was sold to a company (now Wyeth) in 1945, Jack moved to Wakefield, Massachusetts, and set up shop.
Jack recruited his son John Jr. to cart packages to the bus station and post office using a little red wagon. In just seven years, Webster Vet grew enough that in 1953, its first fulfillment center was built, also in Wakefield, and Jack’s garage regained its original function.
In 1958, Jack hired his first sales representative and began taking orders from large- and small-animal veterinarians through postcard mailings and collect phone calls. That first sales rep? It was John Webster Jr., who had started his career pulling a wagon full of packages for delivery for his dad.
Gaining ground
As mentioned, in 1953, Webster built its first fulfillment center in Wakefield, Massachusetts, expanding its ability to serve the entire New England community – and expanding its product lines.
Adding fulfillment centers recognized the need for veterinarians who have small, independent practices not to store and manage large volumes of supplies in their clinics.
In 1972, Webster headquarters had to relocate due to growth. The new location was Billerica, Massachusetts.
In 1980 to 1994, fulfillment centers were opened in Plainfield, New Jersey, Charlotte, North Carolina, Gainesville, Florida and Birmingham, Alabama.
Today, Patterson Vet ships out of 13 fulfillment centers nationwide.
In the U.K, lab tests are picked up daily and deliveries are packed in reusable totes, a commitment to the environment reflected in the NVS Group’s green headquarters in Stoke-on-Trent.
During that time, John Webster III and Jeff Webster joined the company. Both were John Jr.’s sons, setting the stage for three generations as a family-run business.
Branching out
As the company grew, it branched out. Patterson Veterinary still follows this branch system today, with branches in the New York area, Ohio Valley, Great Lakes, Greater North, Central Atlantic, South Central, Gulf South, Mountain, Southwest, North Florida, Red River region, Southeast and Hawaii.
Today, each branch has a regional president, branch manager, territory managers and equipment specialists. The branch system helps Patterson Vet connect with veterinarians and staff personally and helps us deliver on one of the long-held tenets of our business: exemplary customer service.
Merging and growing
In 1995, Scott Webster joined the company. Scott was John Webster, Jr.’s son.
1996 commemorated our 50th year of service.
In 1999, John Webster Jr. was named CEO; Jeff Webster was named president. By 1999, the Webster family had built the company into a distributorship with seven warehouse facilities, with additional sales operations in the Northeast and other facilities in North Carolina, Florida and Texas.
From 2004 through 2008, Webster Vet acquired Milburn Distributions, the largest distributor specializing in the U.S. equine market; Associated Medical Supply; Intra Corp., developer of IntraVet practice management software; New England X-ray; Ohio-based competitor Columbus Serum Company; and Odyssey Veterinary Software, developer of Diagnostic Imaging Atlas (DIA), with 3D clinical animations and images to help a veterinarian more fully explain and illustrate a patient’s diagnosis and treatment recommendation.
History repeats itself
Just like the beginnings of Patterson Dental, part of Patterson Companies, Webster Veterinary had been family-led for three generations. The family involvement served the company well, as there was continuity in our commitments of being customer service oriented, offering value with quality and personalized attention and involvement.
“J.A. Webster is a third-generation family business with a proud heritage based on our constant, personal attention and involvement. We are committed to the future of the veterinary industry and to each of our valued customers.” – John Webster Jr., 1996 product catalog with Letter from the President commemorating Webster’s 50th anniversary.
Part of something bigger
2001 was a banner year. Webster merged with Patterson Dental Supply, now Patterson Companies.
Now part of the global Patterson corporation, Webster was able to draw from a large pool of capital, information technology and resources to expand.
In 2004, Webster acquired several companies including Pro-Vet, Milburn Equine and began offering veterinary hospital software, bar-coded ordering systems, continuing education, equipment showrooms and a many additional services as a result.
In 2001, George Henriques joined Webster Veterinary and is president of the companion animal business today.
2005: Introduction of exclusive products and the Patterson Foundation
In 2005, in an effort to expand its product portfolio, Webster launched its private label initiative to supply customers with quality consumables – white goods, exam glove, sutures, surgical blades and microscope slides – at value prices. Today, Patterson Vet has three private label lines: Pivetal, Aspen and First Companion, with 2,500 SKUs total. And when you see Pivetal Webcryl Sutures, the “Webcryl” is a callback to Webster Vet.
In 2005, Patterson Companies created the Patterson Foundation, with a focus on giving back to nonprofits training assistance dogs.
Between 2008 and 2023, the company acquired a 33.3% share in Vetsource, fully acquired Associated Medical Supply; ePetHealth software; American Veterinary Supply and Universal Vaporizer Support; VetIT, a U.K.-based company that develop veterinary software, expanding the scope of its NVS Group; Miller Vet Supply; Dairy Tech; Relief Services for Veterinary Practitioners (RSVP) and Animal Care Technologies (ACT), now Patterson Veterinary Academy.
In 2013, the company changed the name of Webster Veterinary to Patterson Veterinary Supply.
In 2014, the company became international by acquiring the NVS Group, located in Stoke-on-Trent, U.K.
In 2015, Patterson Companies acquired Animal Health International, creating a new division called Patterson Animal Health. This purchase included Kane Veterinary Supply in Canada. The corporate office moved to Greeley, Colorado, and in 2022, moved to Loveland, Colorado.
From a 1995 presentation by Scott Webster
Since its start in 1946, Webster’s business conduct is guided by a core set of values. We hold ourselves to the highest ethics in all capabilities:
- Partnerships with our employees, customers and suppliers
- Integrity that maintains our customers’ trust and loyalty through straightforward honesty and reliability
- Communication that encourages open dialogue and builds relationships internally and externally
- Forward-thinking and innovative products
- Respect and dignity shown to each client, colleague and business partner
John Webster Jr. started in the animal health business in 1946, helping his father Jack in the “shipping department” of their Wakefield garage. John took customer orders by red wagon to the post office for shipment. Many employees of Patterson Veterinary today worked with John and remember him as a bigger-than-life people person.
After graduating from Boston University, John began a brief stint in the insurance business, where he was a claims adjuster in New York City. John joined J.A. Webster, his father’s company, in 1958 as a sales representative in New England. For the next 10 years, he sold the company’s products to veterinarians throughout the New England region. In 1968, John became the vice president of sales and during his tenure as VP of sales the company grew to $10M. In 1978 John was appointed president of J.A. Webster.
During the next 10 years, he grew the business from a New England regional company to a flourishing company in the eastern United States with offices in Alabama, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Florida and Texas. John’s three sons joined the business during the 1980s and 1990s, during which time the company continued to grow, reaching over $100 million in annual sales.
John’s real legacy was his commitment to his people, to whom he will always be affectionately known as “Big Daddy.” Ann Crossley, who’s been with the company 35 years, was hired by John Jr. She remembers the beginnings of the company and John’s legacy well.
“I had started in March. My dad passed away that following July, and I came back after the funeral was over. I was walking down the hall – and I’m a little person. John was well over six foot, and he used to call me the little one. I heard him coming behind me and you’re still shaking in your boots, you know: ‘Oh my gosh, it’s Mr. Webster!’ He came up to me and he says, ‘Annie, I just want you to know if you ever need a dad, I’ll be here for you.’ And that’s just the kind of guy he was. You didn’t stand alone.”
John was honored with an American Veterinary Distributors Association Lifetime Achievement award in 2009.
Patterson today and tomorrow
Today, Patterson stands by its legacy of outstanding customer service and fully embraces our vision of always advancing. Whether it is a new introduction to one of our value-based private label products, a new continuing education series to help all members of your team or a newer, faster way to image a patient, we will always be looking to help our veterinarians do their job easier, quicker, smarter.
“We’ve grown because of our deeply rooted tradition of service, coupled with expertise, so our customers focus on their calling as veterinary professionals,” said George Henriques, president of Patterson Vet, noting that in the span of time since Patterson and Webster merged, Patterson’s animal health division has grown from $135M in revenue then to over $4B today.
“As we grow, we always look through the lens of trusted expertise and unrivaled support as our north star. It keeps our efforts focused and our teams knowledgeable and passionate about our industry.”
His sentiments echo John Webster Jr.’s from a 2015 catalog: “Our biggest asset in serving your needs is our people. We are committed to each of our valued customers. Our goal is to continue the excellent service that you have come to expect.”
Sources: The U.S. Animal Health Industry: Its Pioneers and Their Legacy in Innovation by Brakke Consulting, Nicholas Dupont. Interviews with current and former employees. 1996 Webster product catalog.
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