Chemed Corporation
Chemed Corporation (the “Company” or “Chemed”) was incorporated in Delaware in 1970 as a subsidiary of W.R. Grace & Co. and succeeded to the business of W.R. Grace & Co.’s Special Products Group as of April 30, 1971 and remained a subsidiary of W.R. Grace & Co. until March 10, 1982.
Chemed purchases, operates and divests subsidiaries engaged in diverse business activities for the purposes of maximizing shareholder value. The Company’s day to day operating businesses are managed on a decentralized basis. There are few integrated business functions between the operating units and Chemed (such as sales, marketing or purchasing). Chemed’s corporate office management participates in and is ultimately responsible for long term strategic planning, significant capital allocation decisions, investment activities, financial reporting, tax, legal and the selection of the key executives of each of the operating businesses. Since its inception, the Company has engaged in twelve significant acquisitions or divestitures of diverse business units.
Chemed conducts its business operations in two segments: the VITAS segment (“VITAS”) and the Roto-Rooter segment (“Roto-Rooter”). VITAS provides hospice and palliative care services to its patients through a network of physicians, registered nurses, home health aides, social workers, clergy and volunteers. Roto-Rooter provides plumbing, drain cleaning, excavation, water restoration and other related services to residential and commercial customers.
VITAS Healthcare Corporation is the nation's largest provider of end-of-life hospice care services. Based in Miami, Florida, VITAS operates 48 hospice programs in 14 states (California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin) and the District of Columbia. As of December 31, 2020, VITAS employed approximately 11,500 professionals, including registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, home health aides, physicians, social workers, and clergy. In 2020, these professionals, along with volunteers, cared for over 90,000 patients totaling approximately 7.0 million days of care, primarily in patients' homes, but also in the Company's hospice inpatient units located in hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living/residential care facilities for the elderly. Please visit the VITAS website at www.vitas.com for more information.
Roto-Rooter Plumbing and Water Cleanup
Founded in 1935, Roto-Rooter offers an ever-expanding variety of plumbing repair and maintenance, drain cleaning and water cleanup services to homeowners, businesses and municipalities. Roto-Rooter operates 127 company-owned branches and independent contractors and 369 franchisees. The total Roto-Rooter system offers services to more than 90% of the U.S. population and approximately 40% of the Canadian population. Please visit the Roto-Rooter website at www.rotorooter.com for more information.