Plus, with government cutbacks on reimbursement and the economic crunch hitting so many in the medical field, many hospitals and imaging centers aren't turning to newer equipment too often these days. By hanging on to their older systems longer, things are more likely to break and replacement parts are needed more often.

"The hospitals and clinics haven't been buying the new equipment as fast as they used to due to the cuts," says Jeremy Probst, Operations Manager for the Greenville, WI-based Technical Prospects LLC. "Equipment is holding up longer and holding value for a greater period of time. Facilities won't have the newer equipment and need a company like ours to keep their equipment up and running."


Competition is Fierce

Even with the significant savings they offer customers, parts suppliers face tough competition in a crowded market. That's why respect for the customer is key.

"Medical imaging will continue to see companies come and go. Of prime importance to survival is customer service," says Bruce Smith, VP Multi-Vendor Service for Sonora Medical Systems in Longmont, CO. "Listen to the customer so you provide what the customer needs. This includes making sure you are supplying a top quality part that works when it arrives at the customer site, and providing the technical expertise to trouble shoot to get the customer to the right part or help the customer through any issues with installations."




Russ Hall, Manager of Technical Operations for TN-based ReMedPar, the world's largest independent provider of replacement parts for diagnostic imaging equipment, believes that the battle for customers comes down to two things.

"Competitive price and quality of the parts," he says. "Everyone wants to sell a part so if you are lucky enough to get the phone call, and sell a part, you better make sure that you are providing the customer with the best service you can."

Of course, the more companies fighting to sell you the same items, the better it can be for the end-user. Prices do come down and customer care does increase.

"When it comes to survival, it really comes down to offering quality," Helms says. "We spend a lot of time field testing these units before they are removed. We buy from hospitals that we know, brokers that we know. We know how the stuff was used and only buy good quality equipment. We go through a lot to ensure everyone is happy with the transaction and happy with the parts. We'll follow-up with the end users that they received it and everything is to their liking. We try to make them happy."

More Industry Reports