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Novatek Medical

Leading the way with quality, integrity

Thu Jan 19 2012By Medical Dealer Magazine

While on summer break, the former schoolteacher was presented with an opportunity to work as a medical equipment locator for his neighbor’s company. “Why not?” Robbins reasoned. This position would allow him to earn extra cash during his three-month break and put his accounting and business degree to use. After learning the business, however, Robbins was hooked. And, today, it’s Robbins who is recruiting new blood to the field. After all, as the president and founder of Novatek Medical, a world-class medical device company, Robbins understands what it takes to succeed in this industry.

Unprecedented Growth Factor

If you were to compare the Novatek Medical of 13 years ago to the booming business of today, you would likely see few similarities. Established in 1997 as a small, home-based brokerage business, the Effingham, Ill.-based company has experienced unprecedented growth in the years since its inception. It’s certainly a far cry from the company’s early days, which Robbins simply chalks up to “smiling and dialing.”

            “I began calling contacts that I had worked with before,” he reveals. “I started developing new relationships with accounts that had worked with my former employer.” Fortunately, Robbins’ previous experience provided him with the necessary tools to succeed. “I learned a lot about what to do, and what not to do, in business with my former employer. I knew that I could be successful by being honest and being myself.” After all, he says, “Customer relations is the most important aspect of doing business. It’s all about doing what you say you’re going to do.”

            Maintaining strong relationships with customers has also led to Novatek Medical’s favorable market position. Specializing in the rental, sales and service of used and refurbished medical equipment, Novatek Medical is widely regarded as a worldwide leader in the parts business. And, with four satellite offices –Arcadia, Calif.; Las Vegas; Cookeville, Tenn.; and Nashville, Tenn. – and 21 employees, Robbins’ company certainly has the resources to accommodate its high volume of sales inquiries.

           To Philip Stuemke, vice president of sales at Novatek Medical, much of his company’s success is attributable to this fact. “One of the main advantages we have over our competitors is that we have multiple locations, enabling us to serve our customers better.” Novatek Medical’s other advantage, Stuemke asserts, is its focus on stellar customer service. “The biggest thing that sets us apart is the level of service we provide for our customers, the speed at which we can get products out to our customers, and the condition of the products,” he remarks.

            Something else that sets Novatek Medical apart from the competition? In a phrase: Product diversity. “Everybody else only specializes in one or two categories of parts, such as IV pump parts or imaging parts,” Stuemke says. Not Notavek Medical. “We do several different modalities,” he says. With a broad product portfolio, ranging from defibrillators, ventilators, patients monitors, pulse oximeters to various infusion devices, Novatek Medical offers products to meet any healthcare professional’s needs. And this distinction has been particularly lucrative for the company.

Weathering the Storm

It’s no secret that the recent economic downturn has affected companies in all sectors – and Novatek Medical is no exception. Stuemke believes that cost-conscious refurbished equipment providers are at an advantage over the OEMs. Novatek Medical, for instance, is seeing a huge increase in their repair business. “And that, in part, is a result of the economy,” Stuemkeexplains. “The hospitals can’t afford to go out and buy new equipment. They’re trying to extend the life of their existing equipment for as long as possible, so they’re coming to us to repair their equipment or to buy parts to support it.”

            Cash-strapped customers are also attracted to Novatek Medical’s innovative rental service. Since 2002, the company has provided hospitals, nursing homes, medical centers and colleges with the option to rent medical equipment. Clearly ahead of its time, this service couldn’t be more relevant given today’s economic landscape. In fact, Stuemke says, this service is one reason why his company has stayed robust when many others have faltered.

            “One of the ways we were able to weather the recession was by working out pricing on both rentals and sales to hospitals that couldn’t afford to go out and buy new equipment,” Stuemke says. “So it was just a lot of fancy footwork to make it where hospitals could afford the equipment, and we could get it to them. That way, the hospitals could continue to provide high-quality care to their patients.”

            An example of how Novatek Medical enabled a hospital to meet their patient-care needs occurred recently. A nursing college was in dire need of help: They needed to spend their equipment budget by the end of the month. The problem? They had to do it by the end of February, and it was already the 24th. And, with all of the logistics of the task – mounds of paperwork, approval signatures, etc. – time was clearly not on their side. After being turned away from numerous other companies that were unable to meet this request, the nursing college contacted Novatek Medical. Finally, someone was up to the task.

            “So we came in, and I coded them and helped them get the paperwork done and get the process started,” Stuemke says. In only two days, he and his team were able to work out the logistics, get everything approved, and get the equipment to the hospital. A true success story, indeed.

A Bright Future

Without a doubt, the future of Novatek Medical is extremely bright. Along with an impressive product portfolio and an effective leadership team, the company has strong policies in place to ensure decades more of success. But, instead of growing complacent with their favorable market position, Novatek Medical has plans to expand. In fact, “Stuemke says, “Our goal is to continue to push forward and open up more offices.”

Robbins concurs. He is extremely thankful for the milestones his company has celebrated in only 13 years and looks forward to many more years of business. And, in typical form, he remains humble about his considerable success. “As we grow,” he says, “I don’t want to lose sight on what got us where we are: Great customers and great employees who have been able to maintain the same high level of customer care we have emphasized over the last 13 years.”

Originally published in the April 2010 issue of Medical Dealer Magazine.

For more information regarding Novatek Medical, please visit www.novatekmedical.com.

 

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