Maccabi Health Services’ new private brand will join other activity currently managed by a new business entity Maccabi Holdings, managed by Ofer Carmel. The new holding company will handle most of Maccabi Health Services’ new activity not included under the Health Insurance Law (5754-1994).
Maccabi Holdings was recently founded as a subsidiary of Maccabi Health Services in order to promote its business activity through two main channels. The first consists of subsidiaries (MaccabiDent, Natural Maccabi, Active Maccabi). Maccabi Holdings will provide them with strategic guidance, economies of scale, and synergy. The second is identifying opportunities and developing new activities, including the vitamin market, nutritional supplements, and over-the-counter drugs, through Maccabi Care.
Maccabi Health Services director general Prof. Joshua Shemer said that the private brand would initially concentrate on vitamins and nutritional supplements, and would later expand to include over-the-counter products, medical equipment (such as blood pressure gauges), special cosmetics, dental products, ophthalmic products, etc.
Founding Maccabi Holdings is a strategic move that has been in planning for a year. In contrast to Clalit Health Services, which used the Derech Haim label for its private brand, Maccabi Health Services is relying on its own brand name Maccabi Care.
Maccabi Holdings manager Ofer Carmel was senior deputy director general of Maccabi Health Services for the past four years, and managed Maccabi Health Services northern region for three years before that. He said that activity of the private brand in the framework of Maccabi Care was the first of a wide range of activities. Initial investment in the Maccabi Care private brand will total NIS 5 million, and 20 products will be launched under this name in the first stage.
Maccabi Care products will be marketed to consumers at over 40 pharmacies of the Maccabi Pharm chain, and through private pharmacies.
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on September 6, 2005