Medequip Engineering Service, Inc., an Oregon based refurbisher of used sterilizers and other medical equipment, believes it's far better to sell customers what they actually need instead of what they think they need, even if that means saving them thousands of dollars in the process.

"We don't like to oversell," explains Billy Dean, Manager of Sales and Marketing for the company which also sells and services new equipment for operating rooms and central supply departments. "When someone calls and tells us they need a 24" x 36" x 36" sterilizer and we know mathematically by the number of loads they run that they only really need a 20" x 20" x 38" chamber, we'll tell them exactly that, and save them a lot of money in the process." The same "don't-waste-your-money" philosophy resonates in everything the company does.


Dean says, for example, that the average lifespan of a good sterilizer is as much as 20-30 years even though the average customer uses one for only 8-10 years before turning it in. "If we can take an eight-year old sterilizer and refurbish until it's just like new, you've essentially end up with a chamber that will last you another 20 years for less than 50 percent of what you'd have to spend otherwise." Medequip Engineering estimates that it regularly saves its customers in the vicinity of $5,000 per unit. "Not bad," he adds, "for a piece of machinery that's virtually indistinguishable from a brand new one.

Ed note: We regret to announce that Billy Dean passed away in July 2008, the company has informed DOTmed News.

More Voices