
A Breakdown of Alborz Distribution Company’s Golden Year
Barkat Health & Pharmaceutical Group: In the business world, every success is the result of the synergy of factors that work together towards a common goal. Companies, not only by utilizing their financial and human resources but also through strategic decisions and fostering an organizational culture of cooperation, can overcome challenges and achieve their long-term objectives.
In this context, Alborz Distribution Company, a prominent player in the country’s pharmaceutical distribution industry and a subsidiary of the Barakat Health and Pharmaceutical Group, achieved significant growth in sales and profitability in 2024 despite the numerous challenges faced by the pharmaceutical and distribution sectors.
In this regard, and in light of the recognition bestowed upon the company, we had the opportunity to conduct an interview with Dr. Jalal Karabi, the Chief Financial and Economic Director of Alborz Distribution Company, and a member of the Board of Directors, to review the factors behind the success in the past year, the strategies implemented, and the plans for 2025.
Dr. Jalal Karabi began by stating: “Alborz Distribution Company was chosen as the top company, and the reason for this selection lies in its profitability and sales indicators. In fact, this recognition was due to the extensive activities carried out in these two areas and the management measures taken in 2024 to reach this achievement, which proved to be highly effective.”
He added: “One of the most important reasons for our success in 2024 that I can point to is teamwork. Alborz Distribution Company, with nearly 1,800 active employees and 27 distribution centers across the country, worked tirelessly day and night. These individuals, covering warehousing, logistics, administration, finance, sales, and management, each played an integral role in this success. Therefore, from my perspective, this achievement was the result of a team effort that we had planned for at the start of 2024.”
The Chief Financial Officer and Economic Director continued: “Despite the challenges and obstacles faced in the industry in 2024, such as liquidity problems and financial issues, along with margin and sales concerns, we came together to address and resolve these challenges, ensuring that we did not face serious difficulties like many other companies.”
“We received support from the Barakat Health and Pharmaceutical Group and the Executive Headquarters, and in truth, we were fortunate to benefit from their assistance along this journey.”
Dr. Karabi stated: “We were able to overcome these barriers through the collaboration of our management team and the dedication of our managers and colleagues. Accordingly, at the beginning of the last year, we carried out seasonal and monthly planning and held brainstorming sessions with the board of directors and the CEO. We also received help from our higher holding company, the Barakat Health and Pharmaceutical Group, and the Executive Headquarters. These contributions, ideas, and collaboration made it possible for us to overcome liquidity issues, with our supporting and management teams working hand-in-hand to achieve this success. Therefore, the success we achieved was the result of a large-scale teamwork involving the Barakat Health and Pharmaceutical Group and our colleagues at the company, who worked hard and gave their all.”
He further added that one of the key factors in this success was resource procurement: “A portion of our sales goes to the government, and given the issues with securing resources and collecting government receivables, we, as part of our social responsibility and governance, could not afford to halt our sales to universities and hospitals. Therefore, to continue sales, we secured the necessary resources through various means. Among these were issuing bonds and receiving support from the holding company, which allowed us to navigate the challenges and successfully close out 2024, overcoming the crises.”
Dr. Karabi expressed confidence: “I am certain that with further collaboration and synergy with our management teams and the Barakat Health and Pharmaceutical Group, we will successfully navigate 2025 and achieve our long-term goals.”
He concluded: “As for our plans for 2025, based on the experiences we gained in 2024, we began planning from the outset of the year, holding planning sessions with the board of directors and senior managers. We communicated these plans to the managers of distribution centers and sales teams. Despite the fact that only the second half of the Persian New Year holiday in April was active, we managed to set a new sales record as soon as operations resumed.”
Dr. Karabi ended with a strong statement of confidence: “In summary, I am confident that with even greater collaboration and synergy with the management teams and the Barakat Health and Pharmaceutical Group, we will successfully navigate 2025 and achieve our long-term goals.”