Corporate Profile: Piedmont Medical Inc.

If you compared the Piedmont Medical Inc. of 1992 to the booming business of today,
you wouldn’t see too many similarities. In fact, the one-man operation that Byron Wurdeman
established in the back bedroom of his house 17 years ago is light years away from the 30-
person operation of 2010. The only common denominator: Wurdeman’s stalwart commitment
to delivering top-quality products and maintaining a sterling reputation among customers.

“When I started this company, all I had was a phone and a fax machine,” Wurdeman
admits. “I had no clue what to do.” Still, he saw a need for a company like Piedmont Medical
– a need that he could certainly capitalize on. Although selling medical beds was a far cry
from his previous gig – working in the food service industry – Wurdeman knew that he was up
to the task. “I realized that there was a niche. Beds are bulky, hard to move around, and
expensive to haul,” he says. “There’s also a lot of risk involved when moving them.”

Besides, considering that much of the furniture industry had moved to China, Piedmont
Medical could better serve the domestic market by finding low cost warehouse space. “It was also a challenge to see if we could make the bed business better, although that wasn’t too hard since there weren’t many companies performing this service,” Wurdeman says. He also aspired to overcome the stigma surrounding the refurbished equipment industry. He wanted to prove to healthcare facilities
once and for all that just because a hospital bed is reconditioned, it doesn’t mean that quality
is compromised. Nearly two decades later, Wurdeman has certainly done this…and more.

Serving a Niche
Situated in picturesque Dobson, N.C., in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains,
Piedmont Medical specializes in the reconditioning of hospital beds, stretchers, ICU and
birthing beds, overbed tables, bedside cabinets and waiting room furniture. By supplying all of the equipment necessary for patient rooms, the company serves as a one-stop shop for hospitals and surgical centers. Plus, not only does purchasing from Piedmont Medical save healthcare facilities a significant amount of money, it also saves them time. Problem solved.

Fortunately, Wurdeman's company has enough room to house its vast array of equipment. With a combined 115,000 square feet of space, Piedmont Medical operates out of two sprawling warehouses. And it's Piedmont Medical’s extensive product inventory that has led to the company’s most notable accomplishment to date – equipping Southside Regional Medical Center in Petersburg, Va. with all of their hospital beds. Clearly no small endeavor, this task took months to complete and was met with resounding success.

Still, despite all of the excitement surrounding his company’s past successes, Wurdeman admits that 2009 was a trying year. With the economy in disarray and the H1N1 virus on everyone’s minds, the healthcare industry weathered many new storms. For Piedmont Medical, one of their main challenges was simply keeping up with the sheer number of customer requests.

“When the economy crashed and money got tight, the beds in the used market began
to get consumed since hospitals didn’t have the funds to buy new equipment or simply didn’t
want to spend the money,” Wurdeman explains. Because of this, healthcare facilities
increasingly turned to reconditioned equipment providers, such as Piedmont Medical, for their
equipment needs.

Although this may seem like a good problem to have, it can lead to many headaches,
Wurdeman reveals. After all, with the supply/demand curve greatly off balance, “replacing our inventory became very challenging,” he says. “Fortunately for us, we had a huge
inventory.” In fact, Wurdeman recently bought another 800 to 900 beds to keep up with
consumer demand. “We’re the premier company in the country as far as hospital beds go,” he
says. Simply put, “we sell a lot of beds.”

Innovation Ahead
In addition to his company’s stock of high-quality, refurbished equipment, Wurdeman
credits his loyal employees with Piedmont Medical’s success. Not only has his staff remained
by his side throughout 11 company moves, they’ve also witnessed numerous industry
innovations. After all, if a company’s been around for 17 years, it’s safe to say that they’ve
certainly seen their share of changes. And it’s precisely these changes that Wurdeman cites
as his favorite aspect of his job.

“The thing that has kept me in this business is the fact that it’s constantly changing,” he
says. “I’m always looking for a new challenge, and this industry always has it.” Wurdeman
also relishes saving his customers money and providing them with the right equipment to
meet their specific needs. Fortunately, he has a stellar team to back him up.

One staff member, in particular, who has contributed greatly to Piedmont Medical’s success is Laura Ambler. Wurdeman calls her "The Furniture Lady" (an expert with 15 years of experience), Ambler has grown the patient room furniture side of the business tremendously. “On the furniture side, we have a broad range of product options available,” Ambler explains. “All furniture items are manufactured to order and are designed to meet the needs of our customers. As a value-added service, furniture packages can be created to assist our customers in purchasing the desired product mix at substantial savings. Plus, these packages can be exclusive to furniture items only and/or inclusive of reconditioned products.”

Believing deeply in Piedmont Medical’s business model, Ambler also cites the myriad
ways her company benefits customers. After all, in an economy where all organizations are
trying to preserve their bottom lines, reconditioned equipment providers, such as Piedmont
Medical, are more valuable than ever. “So, for the customer that is becoming newly familiar
with the refurbished market, they’re finding that the product mix available to them is
extensive, Piedmont Medical’s reconditioning process is impressive, and Piedmont
Medical’s price points allow them to purchase the equipment they need with the budgets
they’ve been allotted,” Ambler says.

On the Horizon
Looking forward, Wurdeman envisions a bright future for his company. Fortunately, he
says, he has the right people in the right roles to ensure success.

“We have the best people we’ve ever had, and everyone knows their specific role,” he
explains. “We’re productive and efficient. I have found, by giving the customer the best quality
at the best price for that quality, there is a great buzz created by the customer. In the future, we
want our customers’ word-of-mouth advertising because of their faith and trust in our products.
Having a relationship is great, but delivering quality products with support to back them up
makes a longer-lasting impression.”

For instance, one way Piedmont Medical has generated buzz among customers is by
offering multilingual sales assistance. A huge advantage to non-English-speaking clients, this
service is just another way Piedmont Medical sets itself apart from the competition. Another
way the reconditioned medical equipment provider has become a vendor of choice is by
staying current. “Customers already familiar with the reconditioned market are finding value in
reconditioning current equipment and/or trading equipment to better meet the current needs of
their facilities,” according to Ambler.

To Wurdeman, Piedmont Medical’s favorable market position is simply a byproduct of
the lessening bias surrounding the refurbished equipment market. He reveals, “A lot of the
hospitals that in the past would only buy new are reevaluating and researching companies
that do reconditioning and are crossing the fence and buying from refurbished equipment
providers.” Not only can these companies offer hospitals dramatic cost-savings, they also
provide stellar service. In fact, Wurdeman says, “a lot of large hospitals are thinking outside the
box and buying from companies like us who have a great reputation and high-quality
products.”

For more information regarding Piedmont Medical, please visit www.piedmontmedicalinc.com.

Published in the Jan. 2010 issue of Medical Dealer Magazine.