Derrell McCrary, President of Choice Medical Systems, Inc., in St. Petersburg, FL feels very good about being in the DOTmed 100 this year: "Because it shows trust from other companies in our company, and has had the effect of bringing people to us as a result," he says


McCrary formed Choice Medical in 1991, and he says it's very much a family business, with eight employees including his sons, wife, and daughter-in-law.

Choice deals solely in ultrasound equipment. Prior to starting Choice, McCrary had worked with ultrasound equipment for ten years, including seven years owning another ultrasound company. The ultrasound equipment is preowned, however Choice also represents the Aloka line of new machines for the veterinary field.

In the Florida office the units are on display after a thorough reconditioning process: stripping all the way to the circuit boards, cleaning the systems and boards of dust--the nemesis of ultrasound machines, McCrary says--replacing worn parts and getting repainted. The units come with various forms of guarantees for the end user.

Sales for the ultrasound units are worldwide, doing well globally with the recent devaluation of the dollar. Domestically the economic downturn keeps people cautious about where to spend their money, and they are holding off purchases a bit longer right now.

McCrary notes some lesser dealers may soon fall from the market because they are operating on a thin line, selling equipment without much knowledge of it, going for quick turnover, perhaps for cheaper prices but without backup service. The end user is the one who gets hurt with the wrong equipment, McCrary feels, and may be out thousands of dollars if a shady dealer disappears after the sale.

"Our strength is our knowledge of ultrasound," McCrary told DOTmed. "We have the reputation of selling the right equipment by asking a lot of questions-- qualifying the customer carefully, knowing what their needs are." There is no "standard" unit for ultrasound, McCrary notes. For OB/GYN you need one set; for cardiac, another set; for vascular, another. The familiarity with those sets makes a huge difference for the customers.

Prior to the national economy downturn, Choice's business had been growing 10 to 12 percent per year. McCrary says that the company is working hard to do more, and the company's reputation and knowledge will carry it through the tougher times, due to customers needing dependability. Customers may take a little more time to decide from whom to buy, and that is where reputation plays strongest, McCrary feels. "We are here for the long run, and if something goes wrong we will make it right."

Communication is one of McCrary's keys to customer relations. Using and adding to the experience is another. In a technology-driven business, you must adapt every day to changes in manufacturers' products, he says, and learning about new products when they are available. McCrary continues to enjoy learning and applying his vast ultrasound expertise. "I might have retired long ago, but I still love it."

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