Jul 04

Mix of Refurbished & New Respiratory Equipment Spells Success for General Biomedical

How does a medical equipment company manage to not only stay afloat, but thrive for more than 20 years in a sea of competition? For Kenner, LA-based General Biomedical Service Inc. the answer could very well be, “Identify your core strengths, build upon specific products and services, and don’t try to be everything to all people.”

Since 1982, GBS has found its strength lies in providing high quality new and refurbished respiratory equipment, and backing it up with exceptional technical service by top-tier,
factory-trained biomedical technicians. The company’s solid reputation and commitment to quality has built a loyal customer base both domestically and abroad, along with an even wider array of innovative products and
services.

GBS offers quality anesthesia machines, ventilators, humidifiers, pulse oximeters, monitors and defibrillators, and is an authorized equipment distributor for some of the industry’s leading manufacturers.

Here GBS’ sales and marketing manager, Ana Ortega, offers insight into the evolving medical equipment marketplace, the critical role of quality customer service and ongoing product support, and the importance of keeping a finger on the pulse of customers’ ever-changing needs.

Q: To what does General Biomedical Service credit its longstanding success?

A: When we say we sell fully refurbished equipment, we truly do. We strip all the units down, check and calibrate all the boards, certify that everything is working up to specification, and then offer a warranty to back up our work and support the customer’s investment. All equipment includes a spec sheet as well as a checkout list of everything that was tested and/or replaced. General Biomedical also takes pride in providing exceptional customer service. We provide 24-hour service, so if a customer has any questions, requires assistance or needs an equipment rental, for example, we’re here for them. We don’t just sell equipment; we also offer parts and do repairs to better support the needs of our customers. We understand that quality service isn’t just about selling equipment. It’s also enabling customers to continue to receive service long after they have purchased the units, and after their warranties expire. In some cases, we will even accept older units customers have purchased from us as trade-ins so they can buy newer equipment and keep up with changing technology. In general, we don’t believe that any complaint is too small or any need is too great. Fulfilling those needs is very important, especially when you’re talking about life-support equipment.

Q: Which respiratory care products does GBS offer?
A: We have started to expand our product line. We began with ventilators, but we’ve recently added anesthesia machines, some defibrillators and pulse oximeters, as well as a line of medical monitors by Pace Tech Inc. We now are also authorized distributors of the VersaMed and Sechrist lines of ventilators; We are proud to be the exclusive dealer in Louisiana and Mississippi and parts of Alabama for Versamed and Sechrist.

Customers can benefit by knowing that we are an authorized dealer and are trained and supported by the manufacturers. That means we will have the back-up from the manufacturer and have all the tools necessary to service and support the equipment, including parts and technical manuals. That relationship with the manufacturers keeps us in touch with new equipment and evolving technology. It also enables us to offer customers the option of either refurbished or new equipment. While we are proud of our expanding product line, we still want to stick to what we know—and do—best, which is provide quality respiratory equipment. We realize that if a company expects to do a job well, it cannot do it all.

Q: How have changes in the marketplace impacted GBS’ sales and territory growth?
A: We sell worldwide to 45 different countries and we have definitely seen a greater demand abroad. People overseas can obtain refurbished equipment from a quality company and feel confident that even though they’re buying long-distance, they will get high quality, completely refurbished, tested and guaranteed equipment. Many other companies don’t offer a warranty, but we offer a six-month warranty for our overseas customers. And our warranties begin when the customer actually receives the unit, not when the item is shipped. That way, customers can have a chance to actually inspect and test the equipment, and make sure it’s working as expected. In the United States, our basic warranty is 90 days, but customers have the option to extend that to a year or longer, depending on the unit.

Many people have learned the hard way that you really do get what you pay for. Some who have purchased an inexpensive unit somewhere else may find that the equipment is missing a major component, or they are quickly left with a broken unit that costs twice as much as what they paid for the unit. Our prices are not the least expensive, but customers can rest assured that when they purchase a unit from General Biomedical it’s been completely refurbished, will come with a warranty and can be trusted. Quality matters.

Q: How important is ongoing training to keep up with evolving technology?
A: We believe it’s very important. Technology is always changing, so we make sure our biomedical technicians are regularly being trained on new technology. We usually have four to five training sessions a year to make sure our technicians are up-to-date on the equipment and any changes.

Q: Which changes are in the works for GBS in the future?
A: We are looking to expand our product line within respiratory and anesthesia even further. We will also continue looking for ways to improve our products and services. For example, we are extremely proud of our newly redesigned catalog. It contains a great deal of information, a lot of new equipment, as well as detailed comparisons between the different types of ventilators and anesthesia machines available, which facilitates decision-making by having all the key information right at their fingertips. Of course, we also have a website, so customers who need more information or want to see more pictures of the equipment can log on and find that information as well. We fully expect GBS’ success to continue to thrive in the future by keeping up with the very latest technology and remaining committed to providing exceptional products and services. We would like to thank all of our customers for supporting us over the years and also encourage those who haven’t yet purchased equipment from us to give us a try—we know you’ll be satisfied.

For more information about General Biomedical and the products and services they offer, contact 800-558-9449 or visit www.generalbiomedical.com.