Specialization is the name of the game for many DOTmed 100 companies. Apex Endoscopy, based in Lawrenceville, Georgia focuses on rigid endoscope refurbishing and repair. These include ENT and surgical equipment such as ureteroscopes, cystoscopes, arthroscopes, laparoscopes, hysteroscopes, and other technologies.

The company was founded in 1995 by Aurel Suru. Office Manager Cornel Cacuci is Suru's son-in-law.

"I came around a few years later, married his daughter and helped expand the business," Cacuci said of his personal and professional ties.

Repairs and refurbishing have always been their strong suit and their customer based is divided about 80/20 between dealers and clinicians. The biggest trend right now is international sales with South America and Europe providing fertile ground for business growth.

"Recently we've seen Brazil and Columbia buying more refurbished equipment as well as Italy, Hungary and European countries, but not as much as South America," Cacuci reported. "From what I know there are few repair companies for scopes in South America so everything is sourced in the U.S. Same goes for used equipment purchasing."

What sets the company apart is technical expertise in repairing rigid scopes.

"Everything is broken down to basic components. A rigid scope looks likes like a 12-inch tube with an eyepiece on the end but when we take it apart there are 80 to 100 pieces. A lot of small optical pieces and lenses," he said. Apex replaces scratched or damaged opticals and mechanical parts like O-rings. Adhesive and solder work also gets redone.

"Because of autoclave use over time, adhesives weaken and tend to leak," he said.

They also ensure the scopes are cosmetically polished.

Parts come from U.S. distributors for German optics manufacturers to get the scopes back in shape. Some mechanical parts and eyepieces are fabricated right on site at Apex. The company has six technicians including Cacuci.

He says that sticking to their strength has led to steady growth year over year.

"The way the business works nobody is an expert in everything. What they do is one or two things. Because of our expertise in rigid scopes, we work with a lot of dealers who look to us to refurbish the technology. We also refurbish and sell the scopes directly to end users in the U.S. and in a growing international market."