Medical Exporters, Inc. (ME), Seymour, TN, sells refurbished diagnostic MRI, CT, C-arm, mammography, angio, cath lab, x-ray, nuclear camera, bone densitometer and ultrasound equipment to a primarily international clientele. The company has been in business about a year.

Patrick Doyle, Vice President of International Sales says the real difference in ME's business is "We go to the client, sit down and discuss their needs." Medical Exporter's pursuit of customer satisfaction in the international market means going a true extra mile. Doyle says they will work with foreign governments who are reluctant to allow refurbished equipment to be imported, and negotiate on their clients' behalf. Medical Exporters has clients in such far ranging places as Bulgaria, Ukraine, Italy, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Latin America, Colombia, the Middle East, and Poland. As demonstration of ME's problem-solving skills, Doyle says they are 99 percent successful in getting the equipment to their customers around the globe. Often, those places are truly in need of quality medical equipment to help their people.


It's not just about the sale for ME. If a company calls looking for equipment that ME doesn't handle, Doyle will help them source the equipment. Doyle feels that helping out is giving back in a way, as he still appreciates the people in the business who have helped him in the past. Doyle's job is truly an adventure in constantly traveling the world. He has been immersed in a multitude of cultures meeting with clients (such as clinics and hospitals) and dealing directly with high-ranking government officials. For example with the Myanmar government, and helping to get the equipment sold and imported where needed. ME is also setting up training of service technicians to further train personnel needed to maintain the equipment, once purchased. Doyle says that with international sales in areas that are often still developing, "You can't sell without servicing." ME finds people within the area who have electronic knowledge capabilities, even in fields such as television repair, and teach them to diagnose technical problems with the purchased equipment. This has been a successful venture, as many of the people they have found have turned out to master the capabilities for maintaining the equipment.

In Doyle's experience, equipment that is currently extremely popular in the U.S. will be popular in foreign markets within a year or so. For instance, bone densitometers were in demand in the U.S. market a year ago, and are now popular overseas. In addition, Doyle has found that the pricing climate of the world economy means more purchasing power for foreign buyers in the U.S.

ME is a small company but business is growing every day. As they gain a foothold, they are participating in trade shows in other countries. Doyle says ME is a company that knows its customers and assists in all ways possible, including offering credit terms. He feels DOTmed has been extremely helpful to ME in connecting with customers and DOTmed is a great way to promote a business--not just what is for sale, but for a business as a whole.

More Voices